


After End

by honestlywhatamidoingwithmylife



Series: After End [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Past Relationship(s), Reset Theory (Mystic Messenger), Temporary Character Death, Time Loop, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2018-09-16 14:11:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 32,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9275588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestlywhatamidoingwithmylife/pseuds/honestlywhatamidoingwithmylife
Summary: With the so-called true ending leaving little to be desired, you decide to take matters into your own hands. There must be a way to make everyone happy, right?(Warning: Will contain spoilers for all routes and secret endings.)





	1. The Confession

 

* * *

**14/11/16**

"What's going on with you?"

Your smile faltered a little bit. You knew Saeyoung was starting to get suspicious, but you hadn't really expected him to get this confrontational about it — never mind follow you around. That wasn't really his M.O.

"You caught me," you said, shrugging your shoulders as you put on your worst possible German accent. Or was it Russian? Either way, it sucked. "My name is Agent 606, someone on the deep web hired me to _—_ "

"I know a mask when I see one," he interjected, unrelenting. "You're hiding something. I can tell."

You let out a sharp gasp, holding a hand to your mouth for dramatic effect. " _Oh no_ , you found out I haven't actually eaten yet? Please don't tell anyone!"

He tilted his head to the side, glaring at you. "I'll find out myself if I have to."

Your hands dropped to your hips as you let out a labored sigh. "C'mon, Seven, you already did a background check on me. I have nothing to hide."

He shrugged, leaning against the alleyway wall. "So it seems. But internet sweeps can't tell me everything."

"Then I guess we're at a bit of an impasse, aren't we?"

"There are _other_ ways," he began, staring at you from the corner of his eye, "to get people talking."

You jumped a bit, caught a little off guard by that not-so-thinly-veiled threat. Not that he'd actually  _do_ anything to you, _but_ … still. The iciness of his tone was unsettling.

" _Ooooh_ , what a sadist," you chuckled, trying to play it off. "I'd kink shame, but uh, between you and me my husband's tastes are also a bit…  _well_ , I drew the line when he brought out the cat ears."

You thought he might at least smirk at that, but instead he just sort of… no, that wasn't possible, was it? He couldn't possibly remember anything, especially when it technically didn't even happen. You shifted uncomfortably.

"You think I wouldn't?" he replied, edging himself toward you. "Don't be so sure of that. How I act on the messenger _—_ "

 _Ugh_ , this shtick again. You crossed your arms, gritting your teeth and glaring down at the ground. "I know you a lot better than you think, Sae _—_ " Your face went pale. "S-Seven."

He stopped, expression blank. "What did you say?"

_Shit._

_Shit, shit, shit._

"I have to go, Jumin's expect _—"_ You started to walk past him, but he grabbed you by the wrist. "H-Hey! Let go!"

"Tell me how you know."

You tried to pull away. His grip tightened.

" _Tell me how you know_ ," he repeated, almost whispering. "No more secrets."

You scoffed. "Y'know, that's pretty rich coming from you. V told me."

He blinked, letting you go. "What?"

You put some distance between the two of you, rubbing your wrist and staring at him all the while. "He came over for dinner one evening and let your name slip, big whoop," you began, now all too used to making things up on the fly. It's not like he'd believe you if you told him the truth, anyway. "He said we shouldn't mention it because you'd get upset, so I panicked a bit there. I'm sorry."

He paused for a moment, seemingly reading your face. "V promised he'd never _—_ "

"Well, he had a lot on his mind. And I'm sure he didn't mean to, so don't be too hard on him," you said, lowering your voice. "Look, I know I've been a little weird lately, but it's nothing you need to be worried about, okay?" You turned away from him. "I'll see you later, Sev _—_ "

"When did he visit you?" he asked suddenly.

You froze, swallowing hard. "...When?"

"Yeah," he said, a faux casualness to his voice. "When."

You could feel your heartbeat increasing as the seconds rolled by, thudding in your ears. "Couple weeks ago now, I guess." 

Without skipping a beat, he pounced on your lack of certainty with a sly grin. "You  _guess_?"

"I _—_  I just mean it was around then. It's not like I remember the exact dates of every random conversation I have, y'know," you replied, attempting to sound more annoyed than anxious. "Why does it even matter?"

"Ooh, I'm just curious! _See_ , Ihaven't been able to reach the guy in _..._   _mmm,_  three months? About that, anyway," he said, a devious twinkle in his eye. "After a while I figured he had gone off on one of those trips of his or something, you know? But I guess he was just avoiding me this whole time!" All of a sudden his gaze went wide, and his jaw fell slack. "Say! V's apartment's around here, isn't it? Let's pay him a little visit, since he's around."

You pressed your lips together. "I ... can't, sorry _—"_

He pouted at you mockingly. "Aww, come on, I promise we won't be  _loooong~_ "

Saeyoung glided up next to you, arms outstretched like he was going to guide you to V's doorstep regardless of whether you wanted to or not. In an impulsive misstep, something between frustration and fear, you pushed yourself away from him, saying  nothing, but your actions spoke plenty enough.

He smirked, shaking his head. "Here's a tip," he said, abandoning the act. "Don't lie to a liar. Not unless you're really,  _really_  good at it."

You scowled, turning to avert his gaze. Why did he always do this to you? Saeyoung was up to his ass in secrets of his own, but if you dared to have one?  _Unacceptable_ , apparently.

A period of silence passed between the two of you. Not a long one, but an oppressive one — filled with tension. You broke it first, eventually, as a dark chuckle escaped your lips.

"You know what? Fine. Fine!" You turned and looked him dead in the eye. "I'm a time traveler, Saeyoung Choi. Happy?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaand there it is, chapter one. hopefully it doesn't suck too bad??? i mean throughout the course of this fic im gonna take some liberties with the mechanical elements of the game so that they work in a real life scenario and at times its gonna get a little canonically dubious for the sake of convenience but eh. this fic is entirely self-indulgent anyway. i just wanna fix the mess that is the end of sev's route lmfao.
> 
> EDIT: sup y'all future me here, i've edited this a bit. tweaked a few things. revealed a lil more. ;)


	2. Saudade

It took him a few seconds to process your words, but unsurprisingly, Saeyoung's gut impulse was to laugh.

And oh, laugh he did.

He laughed and laughed and laughed. As in bent-over-wheezing, tears-in-eyes _laughing,_ like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. Still, you couldn't quite tell what exactly he was laughing about: You? The concept? _Both?_

Probably both.

"I— I'm not _kidding_ ," you added a little curtly, a slight flush on your cheeks. You weren't sure what you were expecting, though. Your claim was, objectively, absurd.

Saeyoung held up a hand, hastily waving it in protest. "Nooooooo, no, _heh_ ," he said, attempting to compose himself. "I believe you."

You paused for a moment, your face contorting to express your confusion. "You … _do_?"

He nodded his head. "Weird, right? But it's … just kind of clicking for me? Like, I always felt as though I _knew_ you somehow. When you first joined the RFA, I mean," he said, glancing back at you. "It was like some crazy type of déjà vu, you know? I couldn't explain it, but you were just so … _warm_. And familiar. But it also kinda … hurt? Like, a lot. _A lot_ a lot." He smiled weakly, his expression having gone from hard, to soft, to _pained_. "Don't suppose there's a, uh … _reason_ for that?"

You felt your heart plummet.

He … knows?

_He knows._

How could he _possibly_ know?

You couldn't formulate a response. You just stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "I—"

He was searching your face with a look of desperation and longing, but eventually he broke away and laughed again — _bitterly_. "Ahh, nice. Great. Fantastic! I must be one of the only guys in existence to have an ex hate him so much that she goes and erases their entire relationship. Wow!! What an achievement!!!"

You couldn't take this. "Saeyoung—"

"Don't call me that. My name is _Luciel_ ," he snapped, turning his face away in an angry attempt to hide the glossiness of his eyes. "I haven't been Saeyoung for a long time."

"You are to me," you blurted.

You hated that name. _Luciel_. The very sound of it reminded you of those days you two spent in the apartment, and how cold, how callous he was to you. Luciel may be a part of Saeyoung, but so was 707, Defender of Justice. He was better than _just_ "Luciel."

He choked out a laugh. "And what _am_ I to you, exactly? A toy?"

You stood your ground, all too used to what would come next, but tears of your own began to brim your eyelids nevertheless. "It's not like that—"

"Did you get bored with me?"

"No! This was never—"

"Weren't we happy?"

" _Stop it!_ Shut up," you shot back, breath hitching. "It is _not_ like that! God, why don't you ever let me sp—"

"Did I hurt you?"

"YES! YOU DID!" You turned your back on him, one hand over your mouth and the other balled into a fist. "And so did I."

You heard him creeping closer. "Tell me. _Please._ "

A long silence followed, but eventually you answered. "Go home, _Luciel_." You opened your eyes, peering over your shoulder. "I'll tell you when we can't be heard."

He shoved his hands into his hoodie. "Everything?"

"Everything," you said. "I promise."


	3. Reflections

“Dearest. Are you feeling unwell?"

You looked up from the dinner plate you were absentmindedly pecking at. "Hmm?"

Jumin's eyes bore into yours from across the table. "You're not eating."

"Oh." It was all you could say in the moment, but you quickly realized he'd only continue to pry if you didn't elaborate. "Ooh, no. I'm fine. I had a late lunch."

He seemed contented with this. "I see. Still, in order to maintain one's health and stamina it is important to have three well-balanced meals a day. There is room for the occasional skipped dinner of course, but you mustn't let it become a habit. Hmm. Perhaps you ought to consider setting an alarm, or I could text you reminders when we are not together? Grant, I would have to look at my schedule to see where I—"

You sighed, giving him a gentle but mildly irked look.

His shoulders tensed up. "Oh. Too much?"

"A little bit," though you couldn't help but laugh. You had a weak spot for Jumin's ever-constant doting, even if it could get a bit overbearing at times. "But I appreciate the gesture. I promise I won't intentionally miss meals."

He sighed, easing into his chair again. "Good."

You smiled at your husband affectionately, taken by his peculiar quirks and habits. He worried himself over the smallest things when it came to you, but in your eyes it was merely a testament to the extent of his care. Although, he did sometimes act inappropriately as a result. 

Jumin had always been relatively self-aware of his controlling nature, but it took a lot of patience and perseverance before he was truly ready to change his ways. The process was aggravating at times, of course: You weren't a doll, nor a pet, but there were moments where it felt that way. He'd try to organize your wardrobe, dictate how you spent your leisure time, or muse over different hairstyles that he thought would suit you better — although, he did eventually convince you to trim your bangs for practical reasons. Still, all of these issues were relatively minuscule, and the more you explained your position to him, the more he relented.

However, not all matters were solved as easily.

The big one was letting you leave the penthouse on your own. At first you assumed this issue was behind the two of you, but after his public proposal and the grandiose wedding soon thereafter, he'd begun to get anxious about letting you out of his sight again. After all, he was a powerful man and you were his wife; his strength and weakness combined. What if someone were to take you for financial leverage, or hurt you out of envy? He couldn't bear the thought, and you knew he _did_ have a point.

You abided his request for a month, calmly waiting for the media chaos to die down. You still went out, of course, but it was only with him and his small army of bodyguards. This naturally put a bit of a halt on your _other_ plans, but that couldn't be helped. You had no idea what would happen if Jumin found out what you were doing, and frankly, you didn't want to think about it.

Resetting was never fun.

Nevertheless: After some deliberation, you managed to convince Jumin that all of his surveillance was suffocating you. He understood your feelings for the most part, but getting him to budge on the bodyguards was … _difficult_. To him, it didn't matter that the public had largely forgotten about your existence, or that the bodyguards generally drew more attention to you than you would otherwise garner alone. The risks, in his opinion, were just too high.

 _"I only want you safe, my love,"_ you recalled him saying. _"I told you, I'm a perfectionist. If there's even a 0.000001% chance…"_ The fear in his eyes broke your heart.

Eventually, the two of you came to a compromise: You could go out alone, but it had tobe discreetly and only during the day. He was still pretty nervous about the whole affair, though: The first couple times you left Jumin would practically bombard you with text massages regarding your safety and general whereabouts, but as time went on and nothing of consequence happened, he eased up significantly.

That said, you weren't entirely satisfied. Being unable to go out at night was still getting in the way of … certain matters, but you just had to work around it. On the nights he wasn't home, what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

In any case, you were proud of your husband. Despite occasional trials and setbacks, Jumin really  _was_  getting better as a person: He was more empathetic toward others, less restrictive toward you, and he certainly didn't hide his emotions anymore. Thinking of everything that had happened over the last three months, you realized you truly adored Jumin Han; his subtle generosity, strange humour, and affection … but sometimes you also felt guilty. With every kiss, every touch, every profession of love, the ghosts of your pasts still haunted you — despite the fact they no longer existed. Would these shadows ever leave you, you wondered? Or would you end up carrying the evidence of their existence to the grave?

You sighed deeply, still lost in thought. "Have I … changed?" you asked, not initially realizing you were doing so out loud.

Your husband turned his head contemplatively. "Changed?"

Your gaze shot upwards, and then fumbled to respond. "Oh. Yeah. Since we met, I guess." You decided to give him a qualifier, since he tended to ask for them.

"Hmm," he mused. "Ordinarily I would not attempt to answer such a broad question, but I will do my best. For you." Jumin drew his eyes toward you in careful examination, talking aloud as he observed. "Certainly most changes would be minimal. You took an inch off your hair when you went to get it cut last week, and by my observations you seemed to have gained a little weight _—_ oh," he stopped, furrowing his brow. "Forget that I said that. I have heard it is rude to comment on a lady's weight. My apologies. It is unimportant."

You stared at him for a second, then chuckled. "No, it's fine. Although, I kinda meant more in terms of personality."

"Oh, I see. Let me think about it for a moment, then." He was quiet for a time, glancing off to the side as he thought. "Perhaps change is not the right word. I have certainly discovered more about you over the past months _—_ your likes, dislikes, hobbies, habits, passions, et cetera _—_ but none of these characteristics contradict the initial traits that I saw in you. Your empathy, kindness, patience, and trust." He took another pause, then spoke again, "Come to think of it, though, you are bolder than I expected."

You narrowed your eyes. "Bolder…?"

"Mmm," he confirmed, an amused smile playing at his lips. "Particularly during the days prior to our wedding."

You pursed your lips, biting back a laugh. "Oh _. That._ "

"A certain exchange with Zen comes to mind."

You buried your face in your hand, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I … _yeah_."

He tilted his head to the side and brought a hand to his chin, mimicking contemplation. "What was it you said to him again? 'If you so much as scowl at my fiancé on our wedding day, I'll charge down the aisle myself and throw you out of the church by the fringe of your rat-tail,' I think it was?"

"He was threatening to object!" you added, giving in to the urge to giggle. "I know Zen didn't approve of us but he was _not_ going to make a scene at our wedding."

Jumin chuckled lightly. "I don't think he would have, darling."

" _Still_ , I didn't like how he was treating you _,_ " you said, grumbling somewhat. "Zen could be a real _jerk_." You smiled coyly, which your husband returned.

Jumin rose from his chair and came over to you, brushing your bangs aside with his long fingers and placing a kiss on your forehead. "I'm glad to have someone as valiant as you defending my honour. Shall we move to the sitting room?"

You nodded, taking his hand and following him out of the room. The two of you eventually settled on the sofa, relaxing silently and nestled in each other's arms. You leaned against his chest, eyes closed and listening to his heart beat.

"Why do you feel you've changed, my love?"

You tensed up. The question caught you by surprise, but you probably should have expected it. After all, it was a pretty out-of-the-blue thing for you to say. Anyone else probably would've asked you if something was up immediately, but to Jumin it was more of an afterthought. Perhaps it was a bit odd, but that was something you liked about Jumin. You didn't have to worry about him changing the subject, he just answered the question — even if it meant critically evaluating his own wife. He was open, honest, no matter the cost and regardless of the situation. You admired that about him; he didn't keep secrets.

"Darling?"

You wanted to answer him. You wanted to tell him that you were afraid you had changed for the worse, that you had gotten greedy, over-confident, and were just going to make things _worse_.

Just like _her_.

The words were on your lips, ready to bubble out at any moment. You breathed deeply. "I _—_ "

_Ring-ring, ring-ring._

Jumin huffed, clearly annoyed by the late night disturbance. He took his phone from his pocket and glanced at the caller ID. He sighed. "A moment, love," he said to you, then answered. "Good evening, father. No, we just finished. Go on." He paused, listening to his father talk. " _This_ evening?" he asked, clearly exasperated by whatever request had just been made. "If you insist. I'll get going, then." He hung up, an irritated expression lingering on his face.

"Work?" you guessed.

"I am to attend the Tokyo business trip in my father's stead," he replied dryly. "As per the wishes of his new girlfriend, who'd rather remain in the Bahamas for an additional week of vacation."

You rolled your eyes. "Air-tight excuse, I see."

"Not particularly, but there's nothing I can do. As heated as my exchanges with Saburou often are, our trade relations in Japan are vital to the company, and father is simply refusing to budge on the matter," he grumbled. "I have to leave tonight. I'm sorry."

You wrapped your arms around his neck, grinning mischievously. "Oh, I'm sure you can make it up to me when you get back."

He turned his head, raising an eyebrow. "How so?"

You leaned toward him and whispered in his ear. When you pulled back, his eyes were dark and lidded.

"…Your imagination is going to be the death of me, dear. Oh," he looked aside a moment, an idea just occurring to him, "should we add 'creative' to your list of traits?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah ok im jumin trash and zen kind of pisses me off a little bit LMAO


	4. August 18th

Saeyoung Choi had made it all the way from his desk to the kitchen without noticing you at all, which was pretty impressive considering he'd passed right by you. Granted, he did have his headphones on and his face was glued to his phone, but still. For a secret agent, he wasn't particularly attentive.

When he'd finished closing the fridge, a new can of Dr. Pepper at the edge of his lips, he looked out of the doorway and it finally dawned on him that you were sitting on his couch. He spat out the soda on the spot. "H-HOLY SHIT!?"

You snorted. "Ever observant, Agent 707."

He set his drink down on the counter, a baffled expression setting across his face. "…You know Arabic?"

"About thirty-seven phrases, yeah."

He looked like he was about to ask a follow-up question, but instead he shut his mouth and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Right. Yeah. You would."

You sighed. "Sorry that I … took so long."

"Didn't think you'd come, to be honest."

You stared at him intently. "I promised."

"Yeah, well, that hasn't stopped you before." He winked, shooting his hands up like finger guns. "Till death do us part, _babyyy_."

You looked off to the side. "Do you want me to leave?"

"Nahh, don't mind me. I am just _filled_ with unbearable self-pity." Saeyoung swaggered out of the kitchen, plopping himself on the chair adjacent to you. "Anyway," he kicked his feet onto the coffee table, "you were saying?"

You were silent for a moment. "How much … do you remember?"

"Nothing, really. I just have these gut-feelings about certain stuff." He stared at you from the corner of his eye. "Mostly you, if I'm honest."

You nodded slowly, and shifted off your coat. "It's going to be a long night, then."

"Oh, goodie." He crossed his arms.

You breathed deeply, then began. "It all started on the 18th of August, when I first downloaded the RFA messenger app. To you that was about three months ago, but for me … it was a year and a half ago. I can't even honestly remember how I ended up stumbling across the app in the first place, or why I ever thought going through with what "unknown" wanted," you emphasized the name with air quotes, "was a good idea, but I did, and I went to the apartment, and ever since then things have been pretty fucking chaotic."

Saeyoung gasped dramatically and lifted a hand to his gaping mouth. "Oooooh, naughty girl, ladies shouldn't _sweeear,"_ he teased.

"Shut," you gritted your teeth, "the _hell_ up, Seven."

"Hehehehehehehehe," he giggled. "How was my Zen impression? Pretty spot on, wasn't it? Ohohoho."

" _…Anyway._ " You knew it was better not to engage. "The first time I met you guys … not gonna lie, I was pretty overwhelmed. I mean, I really had _no_ idea what I was doing? But I also wanted to do a good job. It felt … nice to be needed." You shifted in your seat, fists clenched. "And because of that, I got close to Yoosung pretty quickly."

Saeyoung sat up a little bit. "Yoosung?"

" _Yeah_ ," you laughed, shrugging. "I liked his optimism, and really appreciated his encouragement. Sure, he was a bit childish sometimes, and I have to admit that I did enjoy messing with him," you glanced at Saeyoung, smirking a little, "but it was all so terribly _endearing,_ you know? He was so kind."

He gave you an _"okay true"_ sort of look. "So … what happened?"

"Well, a lot. Yoosung started confiding in me about Rika and what she meant to him, but then he sort of … started projecting her onto me?" Saeyoung narrowed his eyes. " _Yeeeah_ , truth be told, that creeped me out a bit, but thanks to everyone's help we managed to convince him what he was doing wasn't healthy. I thought everything would be smooth sailing from there, but then … the apartment's security system got hacked into." Saeyoung's jaw dropped and he flinched a little, but you held out your hand to stop him from interrupting. None of that even happened in this timeline, anyway. "As you can probably imagine, Yoosung quickly lost faith in the RFA for letting me live there, and he was even more angry at V for allowing Rika to install it in the first place, even if it was her idea. I tried reassuring him that I was fine, and that you were only doing as you were told, but he very nearly left the organization anyway. V ended up going to Yoosung's place himself in order to talk it out."

"V did?"

You nodded. "I was surprised, too, but whatever he told Yoosung seemed to calm him down. It was pretty amazing, actually." You smiled, but it quickly turned into a frown. "But then the situation with the hacker got worse. Zen was being stalked, Jaehee was receiving suspicious emails, and when you eventually tracked the hacker's whereabouts, Yoosung volunteered to go along. I think he wanted to make up for how he was acting, and prove he could be strong."

Saeyoung looked tense. "Did _—_ "

"You both came back, it was fine," you assured, although you decided to omit the detail about Yoosung's eye. It would only make him feel guilty. "I couldn't really tell you what happened while you were gone, but the party went on as planned. Well, except for the part when Yoosung decided to make a spontaneous speech in Rika's honour and then make out with me in front of everyone, but y'know. Other than that."

He coughed, then laughed, then stared at you in disbelief. " _Yoosung?!"_

"You should've seen Zen's face."

Saeyoung paused a moment. "Did you like him?"

"Of course I did," you replied, perhaps a little too quickly, "but … I never got the chance to _love_ him." He tilted his head to the side, but before he could say anything, you continued, "The moment I pulled away from that kiss and opened my eyes, I was back where I started. August 18th, 2016, right after I downloaded the app and opened the messenger."

He stared at you. "How?"

You crossed your arms, looking off to the side. "I don't know. I _still_ don't know. All I knew then was that I was confused, terrified, and … well, _sad_."

"What did you do?"

You stared at the ground. "At first I tried to delete the app, but … it wouldn't let me. Don't ask me why. I don't know. So then I just ignored it, thinking I could just walk away and pretend none of this ever happened."

"…But?"

" _But_ ," you swallowed hard, "then it occurred to me that unknown might not _let_ me walk away. Alive, at least."

"Right." He nodded absentmindedly. "Smart."

"It was … surreal. Meeting you all again, I mean," you said, lowering your tone a little bit. "We'd already gotten to know each other, but none of you could remember me at all. Sometimes I thought about saying something, providing some foreknowledge to back up what I was saying, but even then I knew it would sound suspicious and absurd. More likely you'd end up thinking I was working with the hacker and _that's_ how I knew all these things, so I kept my mouth shut." You looked down, your hands fidgeting. "I … couldn't take getting close to Yoosung again, though. I hated feeling _forgotten_ by him, even if it wasn't his fault."

He scoffed. "So then you immediately leapt at the chance to choose someone else, yeah? Zen, maybe? Did a little ring-around-the-RFA until you picked your favourite?"

You glared at him. " _Actually_ ," you retorted, "I started talking with Jaehee. I just wanted a friend to confide in, even if I couldn't tell her what'd happened. Surprisingly, I don't rebound that quickly."

Saeyoung averted your gaze. "Ah."

You sighed, getting up from your seat. "Do you want coffee? I make a mean Americano."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAND thats it for now. im workin on the next chapt but idk when itll be out.
> 
> EDIT: just realized it was kinda impossible for mm to take place in july since yoosung's in uni n all (i picked that date since that was when the app first came out) so i changed it to august 18th (the ios release date) bc supposedly fall semesters in south korea can start in august. sorry android. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	5. Temporal Shenanigans

A look of deep, abiding fear fell over Saeyoung's face. "HE _CRASHED_ MY _BABY?!"_

"Mhmm." You nodded solemnly. "Totally totalled it."

He clutched his chest, his other hand outstretched toward the kitchen counter. "I can't _believe_ this."

You sipped your coffee. "Yup. Jumin's a lot more savage than I expected. I mean, he nearly got himself killed while trying to get back at you. Gotta admit that's kind of impressive."

" _NO?!_ " he exclaimed, falling on his knees and waving his hands in the air. "First my girl, then my _car?!_ Tell me he at least paid me back."

You sighed, drumming the outside of your mug. "Yes. He did."  Humour was his coping mechanism. _Humour was his coping mechanism._ You repeated that mantra every time you wanted to punch him.

His eyes lit up, sparkling with devious intent. "Oh-ho! Think he'll pay for you, too?"

Your eye twitched. "Can't do it, my dude. I'm _priceless_." The retort stumbled out before you could stop yourself.

"OOOOOHHHHH!! Critical hit, critical hit!!" Saeyoung toppled over, curling into the fetal position with one hand extended toward you. "I'm at your mercy, babe! Will you heal me with a kiss?"

You rolled your eyes and loomed over him. "We're going to be here all night if you don't let me continue, y'know. I'm not even finished with Jaehee's route yet."

He snorted. "Jaehee's _route?"_

You flushed. "H-Hey, that's what–! _Oh_ , whatever." You set your empty coffee cup in the sink. "We going back to the other room?"

He pouted, sprawling his limbs out. "But the floor's so comfyyy."

You shook your head, then slumped down on the ground beside him. "Ooookay. Whatever you want, man." You narrowed your eyes. "Where was I again?"

Saeyoung whimpered. " _Baaaaby_."

"Right, right," you said, nodding your head and shifting into a more comfortable position. "So after that, uh… _escapade_ , things pretty much died down completely. Jaehee's enjoying her freedom, you've been fully compensated for Jumin's little joyride, and everyone's excited for the party. I mean, there was a bit of a scare from the hacker later in the evening, but a couple hours later V came on to tell us that everything's fine, so we just went about our business."

Saeyoung rolled his head in your direction, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Um."

"I know," you added, returning his perplexed look. "I thought it sounded suspicious, too, but … you know how V is." You frowned slightly. "Next day rolls around and the party goes off without a hitch, except … ah," you trailed off, "uh, never mind. The evening ended with Jaehee asking me to open up the coffee shop with her, but just like before, the timeline gets reset again."

Saeyoung nudged your thigh with his elbow. " _Heeey_ , what happened before? Don't skimp out on me now."

"It's … really not that important," you insisted, but he just kept nudging. You sighed. "Before Jaehee made her proposal, Jumin came up to me and said something that caught me off guard. I thought for sure he was just going to ask me to be his new assistant, which he did, but then he also … started asking me for advice. About V." You folded your arms. "Or that's who I think he was talking about. I mean, he technically didn't say, but … based on his relationship with everyone else in the RFA, I couldn't think of anyone else he'd be so desperately afraid of losing."

"Losing…?"

"I … can't know for certain, but Jumin at least seemed to be under the impression that V was going somewhere," you explained. "Possibly he made some sort of deal with the hacker's organization, or otherwise … well, I don't know. And it doesn't really matter. We were pulled away before I could ask, and then next thing I knew, it was August 18th again."

Saeyoung hummed. "Poor, poor Jaehee _—_ and right after her sexual awakening, too!"

" _Hey_ ," you sneered. "Jaehee and I were just friends."

"With benefits?"

"Dude."

"Just gals bein' pals?"

You snorted. "I'm pretty sure Jaehee is exclusively Zensexual _—_ lord knows I had to fawn over the man from dusk till dawn to get her to like me." You narrowed your eyes a little, awkwardly scratching the back of your head. "Which, uh, might explain what happens … next."

"Wha _—_?" At first Saeyoung didn't seem to catch your meaning, but after a second it suddenly clicked. "…Wait. Seriously?"

You were visibly cringing. "Okay, hang on. Don't get any ideas. We were a thing for like a week, not even. And, I mean, it's not that I don't like him! It's just _—_ "

"The narcissism? _The rat-tail?_ " he suggested, smirking a little.

"We're incompatible," you replied, though he wasn't … _wrong._ "I guess he just took my interest in his career as flirting…? I didn't talk to Jaehee that much that go around, so I don't know."

Saeyoung hoisted himself into a sitting position, leaning back against the dishwasher. "So, what?" He crossed his arms. "You led him on, then just rolled with it? Figured, 'Oh hey, why not? It's just for a eleven days, anyway'? Because that's pretty fucked up."

You shot him a glare. "Look, I _tried_ to end things before it went too far _—_ "

He scoffed. "Forced, were you?"

"To _progress_ , yeah, I was!" you snapped back. "When I tried to back off, the timeline ended up resetting again _— before_ the party. For whatever damn reason, the loop I was seemingly stuck in wanted me to get close to all of you, or else nothing ever changed."

Saeyoung cocked his head to the side, clearly unconvinced. "Convenient."

You glared at him intently, expression stern. "Oh, you think it's fun for me, then? Getting close to all of you, just to have everything ripped away last minute? Because news flash, it isn't! Even with Zen, even though I didn't like him in that way, it still _hurt._ "

"If you say so," he huffed. "But whatever. Keep going."

" _Fine_." You exhaled in frustration, folding your arms and pulling your legs to your chest. "A lot of things were the same. Zen still got a new role and broke his leg, but Jaehee didn't go to visit this time. I did," you explained. "Mostly everyone figured that I'd be able to cheer him up, so Jumin arranged for Driver Kim to take me there."

" _Jumin_ did?" Saeyoung's voice was incredulous. "Oh my! How the turns have tabled."

"Yeah, uhh, well," you stuttered out. "I mean, he also wanted me to convince Zen to model for his latest cat project, but _—_ "

He laughed. "Oh, _phew._ And here I thought the ice prince was being generous! All is right with the world."

"…He _is_ generous," you replied quietly, but quickly changed the subject before he could interject again. "I-In any case, Zen and I hung out for a couple hours, chitchatting and stargazing and the like, until eventually I went home. After I left, though, he had an unexpected visit from his co-star. It, uh … didn't go so well." You cringed a little bit. "She'd visited him once before, aaaand it was abundantly clear from that visit that she was interested in him, but this time she went with the intention of " _getting-what-she-wanted"_ so to speak, except Zen wasn't having it. Unfortunately, rather than gracefully accepting this rejection, she decided to retaliate by publicly proclaiming that he'd felt her up or something, and used a picture her manager took of her leaving Zen's house as evidence. Oh, and she also decided to spread a rumour about Jumin, too? I guess he also spurned her advances at some point." You shook your head and sighed, irritated by the drama of it all. "Jumin let it roll off his back as he usually did, but for Zen all of this negative attention hit him pretty hard. His dream was crumbling down around him, nearly everyone outside the RFA thought he was a sex offender … it was bad." You folded your arms on top of your knees, then leaned onto them. "He ended up running off on his motorcycle, but luckily someone in the RFA knew where he was headed and went after him."

"Who?" Saeyoung asked.

"Jumin."

" _What the fuck?_ " he blurted.

You laughed, smiling fondly. "I don't know what was said, exactly, but Jumin really went out of his way to help him. He even offered him another modelling job, despite the fact it'd probably _damage_ his business. Zen was so shocked that he actually agreed to do the cat commercial after the party."

Saeyoung's eyes were focused on the floor. "…Is that when you fell in love with him?"

"What? No," you said, furrowing your brow. "I barely knew Jumin back then. I mean, I was curious about him, sure, but he wasn't _—_ " You bit your lip.

"He wasn't what?"

You were silent, scrambling for an excuse.

" _He wasn't what?"_

You groaned. "Ugh. He wasn't _you_ , jackass."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) o shit boi


	6. An Unknown Conflict

You weren't sure what was killing you more, his silence or the way he was looking at you with those weary, honey-tinted eyes of his.

"We always got on well, you know," you muttered, unable to look him in the eye. "It never mattered what was going on, or who I was closer with. We could always chat and joke as though we'd known each other for ages, so in a way … I thought we had some strange _connection_ , somehow." You instinctively pulled your arms in tighter, forcing yourself to keep it together. "From the very beginning I wanted … to get to know you better. I mean, you almost never answered your phone, but I called you obsessively anyway on the off chance you might pick up." You laughed, smiling as you blinked away the tears that threatened to overtake your eyes. "It's embarrassing, really."

You heard him start to utter your name.

"Don't." _Why did he have to remember?_ "Please, just … don't." _It would be so much easier._ "I need to keep going. Okay? I have to." _Why did he have to make you miss him?_ "Just let me finish." _You're in love with someone else, remember?_

He waited a moment, then lowered his gaze. "…Okay."

You relaxed a little bit. "Thank you." Breathing out, you continued with your tale from where you last left off: "After Jumin brought Zen back, arrangements were made to hold a press conference at the party so that Zen could have the opportunity to clear his name. However, literally a day before the party began, the apartment's security system got hacked into again, so you had no choice but to shut down the entire thing to prevent any mishaps. The same thing happened the first time around, but to ensure my safety, Yoosung managed to convince Jumin and V to send bodyguards to the apartment. This time, though … we couldn't get ahold of V, so I was on my own." You gave Saeyoung a quick side-glance. "Zen wasn't pleased, so uh, I _think_ he coerced the address out of you. Possibly violently."

Saeyoung folded his arms, scoffing. "I could take Zen."

You squinted, your tone distinctly skeptical. "Could you, though? Could you really?"

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "My _job—_ "

" _—_ is to mainly sit on your ass and hack. On the rare occasion you actually do field work, you rely on stealth over strength."

"I work out every day!" he insisted.

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Washing your cars is not a workout routine, no matter how much _elbow grease_ you supposedly put into it. Not to mention you live on a diet of chips and soda?"

"Zen lives on beer and water! At least I have the occasional _solids."_

"True, but Zen is also apparently a superhuman with inordinately good health. Comically so." Saeyoung's mouth opened in protest, so you continued, "Look, as much as I'd rather not feed Zen's ego, I'll give credit where credit is due. Whenever the man's not practicing for a production or posting selfies in the messenger, he's working out. Zen is _ripped_ , man. At this point I'm pretty sure he physically does not have any body fat whatsoever, it's just all fucking muscle."

"That's biologically impossible."

"So is Zen," you reminded him, "in his _entire_ existence. _"_

He shut up after that. "…Fair enough. But why was he so persistent?"

"He had a prophetic dream that I'd be kidnapped," you replied rather nonchalantly.

Saeyoung narrowed his eyes and folded his hands in front of his face. "Uh, come again?"

"You heard me correctly," you said, also thoroughly exasperated by the inexplicable enigma that was Zen. "But _—_ wait, hang on _,_ why are you _surprised?_ Zen had a prophetic dream in this timeline, too."

He stared at you. "…Eh?"

"… _Yeah?_ He dreamed about Elizabeth going missing, dude, _"_ you replied, totally bemused. "That's the whole reason Jumin locked Elizabeth in a cage to begin with. Did you just … _not_ read those messages?"

Saeyoung turned away from you and muttered something incoherent beneath his breath, shrugging as he waved his hands evasively.

You shook your head. "Incredible. _Truly_ incredible." You decided to get back to your story. "But anyway _,_ his dream unfortunately came true again. Later in the day, an intruder scaled the outside of the building and broke through the window. If Zen hadn't pried that address out of you and rescued me, I'd be … well, I don't know." You trailed off, glancing down at the floor.

Saeyoung's expression dropped. He looked like he was trying to formulate a question, a suspicion.

"That was … the second time I met Saeran," you answered, predicting his thoughts. "He showed up once before when I reset last time, but _— ah,_ never mind." You paused, clenching your jaw slightly. "I'm … so, _so_ sorry."

He stared at you blankly, his face unreadable. After a moment of nothingness, Saeyoung suddenly got up from his spot and walked off.

You pulled yourself up and followed after him. "Wait, Saeyoung _—_ "

"I thought I told you _not_ to call me that?" he spat, stopping outside the kitchen and hunching his shoulders up.

You stared at his back. "I don't know what V told you after the party _—_ "

"V didn't tell me _shit_ after the party. Not about Saeran, anyway." Saeyoung swirled around, his face brimming with anger. "He just admitted that he knew about Mint Eye and their interest in the RFA prior to the hacker attack, but insisted that he'd taken care of it _._ When I brought up Saeran, V claimed he ran away a while ago now and had no idea that's where he ended up." He paused, his tone darkening. "But he didn't run, did he?" It was more of an accusation than a question.

You crossed your arms, dipping your head down. "...No," you admitted. "Saeran was taken to Mint Eye a number of years ago by one of its members. Since then, he's been ... conditioned to believe many lies about you, the RFA, and other things."

Saeyoung stood up straighter, his voice strained. "Did V know?" 

"…Most likely," you replied.

He chuckled impulsively, hands on his hips and shaking his head in disbelief. "I'm gonna kill him."

You shot up, stepping toward him in a sudden panic. "Seven, wait, you don't understand _—_ "  

" _WHAT THE HELL IS THERE TO UNDERSTAND?_ " he yelled, throwing his hands out and making you jump. "V PROMISED ME THAT MY BROTHER WOULD BE SAFE, AND HE LIED! HE LIED AND HE'S DONE NOTHING TO _—_ "  

"V is being manipulated by the same organization that Saeran is," you explained, loudly but calmly, as you stepped away again. "I don't agree with what he's done either but keeping all these secrets has been the only way V thought he could keep you all safe."

He shot you a curious glare. "What do you mean, _manipulated?"_

You grabbed a lock of your hair and fiddled with it nervously, looking everywhere but him. "I … I can't…"

"Can't _what?"_ You felt yourself being backed into a wall as Saeyoung slowly glided toward you, his posture tall and threatening. "Tell me? About what happened to my own _brother?_ "

"Y-You have to trust me," you replied. "P-Please, I can't _—_ "

"And why should I trust you?" His voice was full of malice. "What _reason_ could you possibly give me?"

Mustering all the courage you had, you steadied your voice as best you could. "Because everything I am doing, all of the secrecy and sneaking around, is for Saeran. We're going to get him back, believe me, I just _—_ "

"Get him _back?_ " His tone was unnervingly high, rather like Saeran's voice when he's under the guise of unknown. "But we already _had_ him back, didn't we?"

Rather than respond, you went to take another step away from him only to realize that there was no more space behind you. He was but a hair's distance away from your face, glaring down at you with an expression that could only be described as a mix of fury and betrayal. You knew how protective Saeyoung was when it came to his brother _—_ you've seen it first hand _—_ and that made you nervous. Very, very nervous.

"Answer me this one question," he asked, lifting his hand to your chin. "Simple yes or no." He pulled your face upwards. "In … _our_ … timeline, did we rescue Saeran?"

You were shaking like a leaf, but you knew he'd only get angrier if you waited. You nodded once, closing your eyes as the tears you'd been holding back finally broke free. "I'm s-sorry," you sobbed. "I d-didn't want t-to."

 _"THEN WHY DID YOU?! HOW COULD YOU?!"_ He brought his fists down on the walls beside you, yelling directly into your tearstained face. _"HOW COULD YOU SEND HIM BACK THERE?!"_

"BECAUSE EVERYTHING WENT TO SHIT!" you screamed in response, pushing him away from you. "I TRIED TO WARN EVERYONE, BUT NONE OF YOU WOULD FUCKING LISTEN TO ME! YOU WERE ALL TOO CLOSE TO HER, YOU DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE _—_ "

Saeyoung fell back, the rage in his eyes now muddled with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

You stood up straight, glaring at him as you wiped away your tears. "Rika," you replied. "The entire RFA was destroyed because Rika got away, Saeyoung."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as u see these dudes go from 0 to 100 real quick
> 
> also..........quick question for readers. i have two possible endings for this "route" rn, one of which is good and the other is bad. now if i go with the good end then i'll prob end the story there BUT if i go with the bad ending then the story could potentially be longer. so basically what im wondering is how long do y'all want this to be? lemme know in the comments.


	7. The Aftermath of Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> behold the product of me goin "wtf there are literally a million ways everyone could get fucked here" when i read through the secret ends. ur welcome. B)

There was no backing out now.

"V lied about Rika committing suicide," you said, staring Saeyoung down. "He thought it would be for the best. He didn't want you all to know what she'd done, and I think … he thought he could save her." You paused, crossing your arms. "But he was _wrong_. Some things are inexcusable, no matter how mentally ill you are."

Aside from his obvious shock, it was impossible to know what Saeyoung was thinking, but you didn't give him time to respond. If you did, you feared that he'd only speak over you; insisting that you're wrong, that there must be something you didn't understand. You weren't going to make the same mistake twice.

"Rika was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and paranoia some time ago," you continued, a constant edge in your voice. "This resulted in various delusions and a bit of a saviour complex on her part, but instead of going to therapy, she allowed her problems to fester, and eventually … she spiraled out of control." You were fidgeting where you stood, desperate to get everything out before he interrupted you. "Unsatisfied by the RFA's accomplishments, Rika began to obsess over the idea of creating a place where she could make everyone happy, even at the expense of free will, and from that bloomed the concept of Mint Eye, a paradise of everlasting parties," whatever the _fuck_ that meant. "She started its construction about five years ago, funneling some of the profits she made from the RFA in order to fund its headquarters and pay off anyone who might … talk. After that she got in touch with several of her other more charitable contacts — homeless shelters and the like — and began to prey on the people they were helping, exploiting their situations in order to indoctrinate them. Once she succeeded in this, she ensured the loyalty of her newfound followers by introducing them to an array of drugs that made them more susceptible to her suggestions, affectively brainwashing them in the process. Where the hell she got her hands on that kind of thing still escapes me, but then again, she's always been … bizarrely persuasive and resourceful." _Unnaturally so._

"There is no fucking way she could ever pull that off," Saeyoung blurted from out of the blue. "Rika was renowned for her charity contributions. If this ever came out, and it definitely _would_ —"

"I know. You're right," you interrupted, lowering your voice. "She needed someone to mask her identity to prevent anyone from tracing Mint Eye back to her." You glanced at him timidly. "Someone with hacking capabilities as good as yours, but no connection to the RFA. Or anyone else, for that matter."

By the look on Saeyoung's face, he seemed to catch on pretty quickly. "No… No, that—" he trailed off, then started pacing the room. "He couldn't have, not back then…?"

You followed him with your eyes, gazing at him sadly. "Shortly after you two … parted ways, Rika secretly introduced Saeran to the same computing guidebook she'd given you," you said, speaking at him as he walked. "Once he proved himself to be of use to her, she started grooming him, gaslighting him, manipulating him into doing things he didn't quite understand, and then … she took him."

He looked back at you. "But V—"

"He's blinded by love, both figuratively and literally," you interjected. "His relationship with Rika was emotionally manipulative and physically abusive, but he can't see her for what she is, no matter what she does." You sighed. "It's not right, but ultimately he's still a victim."

Saeyoung stopped in his tracks, his hand ruffling through his hair. "That … That can't be right. How—?"

"Seven, listen to me, _please_ ," you begged. "I know you don't want to believe me, but you have to. You _have_ to."

He huffed in frustration. _"Why then?"_ he demanded. "Just get to the point, dammit."

You stared at him for a moment, jaw clenched and eyes narrowed. Wordlessly you wandered back to your coat and proceeded to rifle through it, searching for your phone. You could feel Saeyoung's eyes shooting daggers into your back as you pulled up the RFA messenger app and began scrolling through its photo albums, but he didn't make any comments at the time. Eventually you found what you were looking for, so you turned back to Saeyoung and extended your arm. " _This_ is why."

He glanced down at your hand and flinched, immediately turning away. "Why ... would you show me that?" he muttered, his voice strained.

"I want you to understand." You turned off your phone, avoiding his eyes. "I want you to understand that in _our_ timeline ... this was the last time we were ever all together." You paused. "Well, actually, that's not entirely true. V was ... already dead."

Saeyoung's head shot toward you, his eyes wide behind his glasses. _"What?"_

You closed your eyes, furrowing your brow. "Saeran shot him. We ... told everyone it was suicide, although I'm not sure if Jumin believed it." You folded your arms. "He came in shortly after it happened. We were being held captive at Mint Eye, so you sent him a distress signal, but by the time he and his men got there ... it was too late."

Saeyoung opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He was speechless.

You sat down on the sofa, softly sighing. "After all of ...  _that_ , Jumin's men rounded everyone up and brought them to the hospital ... with the exception of Rika." You started wringing your hands. "She was the healthiest of everyone there physically, and she hadn't been taking any drugs, so you decided to put her in Yoosung's care, rather than the hospital's. Or the police's." You couldn't help but sound a little icy; everything that happened was just so  _avoidable_. "I advised against it. She was too unpredictable for the average person, and Yoosung didn't even really know what she did," or how super duper illegal and fucked up it was, but you omitted that frustration from your narrative, "but after V died Rika fell into a state of shell shock, so none of you thought it would be a problem." You glanced up at him. "Except ... as time went on, it became clear that Rika wasn't just going to get better. She needed professional help, so eventually Yoosung and Zen teamed up and had her sent to some roaming mental health clinic in Alaska." You gritted your teeth. "Can you guess what happened next?"

From his puzzled expression, you assumed otherwise.

You laughed incredulously. "They were _arrested_ , Seven. Charged with obstruction of justice and the aiding and abetting of a fugitive."

He took a step back, seemingly caught off guard. "Wait, what? How—?"

"It wasn't difficult," you interrupted rather pointedly. "After Mint Eye's followers detoxed, the police _obviously_ questioned them. I mean, hundreds of missing people had suddenly reappeared after the infiltration of this cult, and then the leader inexplicably vanished! It was the story of the century! This shitshow made international news." You brought a hand to your head, rubbing your temple in frustration. "Some talked, others didn't, but they eventually found out Rika was the leader and opened an investigation into her whereabouts. Unsurprisingly they weren't all that shocked when they realized she was alive — V never did have any concrete proof for her suicide — so they immediately went to go question him. When they found out he was dead, they turned to next of kin. Of course, Rika hadn't visited her adoptive parents in years, but—"

"They told the police about how close she was with Yoosung," he finished for you, sinking into the chair adjacent to yours.

"...Yes," you confirmed. "When Yoosung got home after that get together, the police were already waiting for him. He was so flustered that he confessed on the spot, implicating Zen in the process and getting him arrested as well. Jumin obviously put together an impeccable legal team and their charges were eventually dropped, but by then the damage was already done. The court of public opinion reigns supreme." You could feel a tightness growing in your chest. "Zen's career was irreversibly destroyed, no one wanted to have anything to do with him, and Yoosung's scholarship was revoked because he couldn't attend classes during legal proceedings. He ended up dropping out of school entirely and moved back in with his parents, meanwhile Zen just ... sped off on his motorcycle and never came back." You pulled your arms in together, blinking away tears. "C&R faced so much negative PR for Jumin's involvement in this affair that they had to significantly cut a number of employees, including Jaehee's entire department, and to top it all off," you paused again, trying to stop your voice from breaking, "Jumin was so distracted by the case, Jaehee's absence, and C&R's downward spiral that he neglected to notice that Elizabeth the 3rd had gotten sick." You fixed your gaze forward, your eyes visibly red. "He ... ended up going for another drive, but this time, he ... he wasn't as lucky."  _It didn't happen, it didn't happen, it didn't happen._  "Could be because he downed half of his wine stores beforehand, but fuck, who even really _knows?" He's safe, he's safe, he's safe._  "I sure as hell d-didn't." You were gripping the edge of the sofa through white-knuckled fists, biting your lip to stop yourself from breaking down. "Not f-for  _months_ _._ "

Saeyoung sat in his chair rigidly, hands balled into fists. "There's ... something you're not telling me."

You glanced at him momentarily, chuckling bitterly as you turned away. "The night ... of the arrest," you began, swallowing hard, "you woke Saeran and I up in a panic. Said we had to leave, that we weren't safe. I assumed it had something to do with the agency, or maybe even your dad, but you wouldn't give us the details." _And like an idiot, you didn't question him._  "We left. Totally fell off the grid. No phones, fake identities, the whole nine yards. We travelled around for months, living off the cash you'd saved up working for the agency. At some point you ended up buying a new laptop and started working on something "important," but you promised that this was only temporary, and that we'd go home _soon._ " You grew quiet."...You never did tell me, though. I found out by chance."

He didn't say anything. Only stared.

"I understand ... _why_ ," you added, albeit stiffly. "You just got Saeran back. You didn't want to risk the police finding out what he'd done. You might've lost him again." You glared at the floor, tears dripping down your nose. "I ... didn't want that either, but dammit, if you'd just  _told me_ what was going on sooner—!"

"How did you reset the timeline?"

You blinked at him, taken back by the interruption. "What?" 

"How did you reset the timeline?" he asked again.

You glared back at him in disbelief. "Oh, so _that's_ your question?" you snapped.  

"Yeah. It is." His voice was calm, but cold. "I thought they happened randomly. Outside of _your_ control."

You scoffed. "Are you accusing me of something?"

He shrugged.

You shook your head, rolling your eyes as you did so. Bastard had no right to call you dishonest, no matter how inadvertently. "The resets don't happen randomly, but I don't control them either," you retorted. "They used to happen automatically after we finished the party, but after you all that stopped."

He watched you skeptically. "But they can happen at other times, too, yeah?" he asked, but he wasn't _really_. You both knew the answer, he just wanted to remind you that he knew.

"...Yes." Your eyes darkened. "Under certain conditions."

He folded his arms. "Which _aaare_...?"

"I ... don't know exactly," you replied, perhaps a little too hesitantly. 

He cocked his head to the side, unconvinced. "You must have some idea, otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here right now."

You sighed. "I did notice ... a pattern."  _But you don't want to know._

"So? How did you reset, then?" He held his hand out flippantly. "I'm assuming you had to do  _something_ to trigger one."

You balled your hands into fists. "Does it matter?" 

He rolled his eyes. "Oh sure! You can get on  _my case_ for something I don't even remember doing, insinuating that I'd just completely abandon my friends when you clearly don't even know what I was planning, but I can't question your story? I should just accept it?"

You slammed your fists down on the coffee table in front of you. "Okay, you know what? If you want to know so fucking badly, I'll tell you!" You turned to him and shaped your fingers into a gun, raising it to your temple. "The timeline resets whenever I die, so I expedited matters," you said, pushing your thumb down. " _Bang._ "

You didn't think it was possible for Saeyoung to get any paler than he already was — the boy almost never went outside, after all — but there he sat, as white as a sheet, and immediately you wanted to take back those last ten seconds. For a moment it looked like he was trying to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was a choked cry. Hurriedly you put your hand down, embarrassed and ashamed. Were you really that angry? Did he really deserve that? No, no he didn't. What the actual hell was wrong with you? 

He turned his face away from you, his eyes darting everywhere. "Did you ... know that would work?"

"I-I'm sorry," you stuttered out. "That was fucked up of me. I shouldn't've—"

" _Did you know that would work?_ "

"...I was pretty sure."

" _Pretty sure?_ " he echoed, every ounce of aggression in his voice replaced with desperation and worry.

You sighed. "I had to try, Seven."

"But what if you—"

"There's no point in arguing about this," you interjected. "It worked. I'm alive. Everyone's alive. The end."

He swallowed hard. "Promise me you won't do that again."

"I can't," you replied, point blank.

"Please?" he begged, leaning forward and gripping the edge of his seat. " _Please_ , if you die I'll—"

"I'm not your responsibility. If anything, you're mine. All of you are." You breathed deeply, then spoke again, "That's why I'm here. That's why I'm doing this. And that's why you have to trust me." Mustering up your courage, you looked into his eyes. "Will you trust me?"

He returned your stare, gazing at you uncertainly. After a moment he chuckled suddenly, sinking back into his seat and shaking his head. "...But  _Rika's_  the one with a saviour complex, huh?"

You flinched, but did your best to hide it. "That isn't an answer."

He sighed, falling quiet for a moment. "Why?"

You narrowed your eyes. "Why what?"

"Why do youwant me to trust you? Hell, why even tell me anything?" he elaborated. "I mean, the way I see it, if all of what you're saying is true ... you're taking a mighty big risk here. So either you crack super easily under interrogation, or...?" 

The slightest of smiles crept up your lips. "Do you ... remember that time you called me talking about the sky? It was a few days after I entered the apartment, I think." You glanced at him, but he just looked puzzled. " _Ha,_  well, these things do get muddled after a while. Maybe it didn't happen this time?" you pondered. "Regardless, I realized that ... ah, screw it," you said, snickering softly. "707! Defender of Justice!! I ... I need you!!!" You let your voice drop again. "I ... can't do this on my own. Not now that Mint Eye's—"

_Buzz, buzz._

You were both silenced, surprised by the sound.

"...Was that your phone?" you asked him. "Mine's right here, so..."

"Oh. Yeah, maybe." He reached into his pockets. "Huh? Where'd it—?"

You smirked. "Check the cushion."

He looked at you. "Wha—?"

"Your phone always slips out of your hoodie. You should use your pants."

"Oh! Gotcha, heh." He shuffled to the side, slipping his hand along the cushion. "Ah-ha!" he exclaimed, grabbing his phone and swiping it open. "Found yoouuuu~ oohh, shit." He glanced at you, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Err, haha ... Uh oh?"

"Something up?"

He snorted. "Yeah.  _You_ , apparently," he replied, skimming whatever wall of text he was reading on his phone. "Out past curfew, are we?"

" _Come again?_ "

"I mean, Jumin seems to be on the cusp of having an aneurysm right now, so I can only assume hubby doesn't know you're out with your ex?" 

"...SHIIIIIIIIIII," you've never grabbed your phone faster in your life, "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT, HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HOME—" 

"Well, he is. And you're not. He's made that fact quite clear on the messenger."

You let out a series of curses unsuited for this fic's rating. 

Saeyoung gasped. "You kiss your daddy with that mou—?"

" _WHY DO YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN AN ACTUAL BUNKER, SEVEN? I CAN NEVER GET ANY SIGNAL HERE."_

He held out his hands defensively. "Hey, hey, it's not _my_ fault your phone's crap."

You jolted out of your seat.  "UGH, JUST...! I'M GOING OUTSIDE! STALL FOR ME."

"Okay! Okay, _jeez_ ," he muttered. 

* * *

* * *

You stared at the vacant messenger app in silence, both physically and emotionally exhausted. A moment later, Saeyoung was beside you, car keys in hand.

"Y'know, I think that went well."

You grumbled something profane under your breath, thoroughly exasperated. "Just get your car, Seven. And then preferably drive us off a cliff."

He frowned at you unsympathetically. " _Noooooope_."

"Worth a shot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eyyyy sorry this took a lil longer to get out! its a p big chapter with a lot of Plot Stuff and it took me a while to make those chatroom edits. oh and speaking of those: if you're wondering why the interface looks slightly different, it's because saeyoung updated mc's version of the app so that it's like everyone else's. so she can use different fonts and post pictures ~~and actually type~~ now, but no emojis yet :( ~~ever a disappointment, 707~~
> 
> anyway what a rollercoaster am i right??? totally yikes™
> 
> EDIT: so i updated the chatrooms using a layout designed by zentherainbowunicorn bc it looks a lot better lmfao


	8. Ilunga

_"You're an ugly crier, you know."_

_You jumped a little, surprised to hear his voice so close by. How long had he been standing there? You swore that boy could walk across glass and still not make a sound._

_He shifted in his stance, looking out at the mountainous landscape that laid before you two. "Not surprising, though. Good… good people don't wear sadness well."_

_You smiled in the midst of your sniffling, wiping your eyes on your sleeve. "Was that a genuine compliment?" You glanced at him. "Hell must've frozen over."_

_"Yeah. Maybe." He sat down beside you, crossing his legs._

_"Wow, not even a comeback," you replied, faking amazement. "You must be worried about me or something."_

_He scrunched up his face and rolled his eyes. "No fucking shit, idiot."_

_Despite your present mood, you allowed yourself to laugh. "Well, thanks for that, then," you said, pushing his shoulder as he grumbled several profanities under his breath._

_The two of you sat in silence for a while, watching the sun peak over the horizon and glint against the lake. It'd been a hellish night filled with screaming matches, broken promises, and gut-wrenching realizations, but sitting here, surrounded by nature … it almost felt peaceful. You were grateful for his company._

_He sighed beside you. "Hey, uh… I'm… sorry."_

_You turned toward him, smirking. "Wouldn't be the first time you've called me an idiot?"_

_"Not that, dumbass," he snapped, eyes narrowed. "I mean, I'm… I'm sorry about all of this."_

_It took you a second to clue in. "…Saeran, it's not—"_

_He scowled. "Oh, shut the fuck up. It is."_

_You closed your eyes. "You weren't in your right mind—"_

_"I fucking know that, but unless I hallucinated shooting that cotton candy-headed bastard, I'm still the reason he died. I'm the reason we went into hiding, I'm probably the reason Mr. Trust Fund ended up bee-lining into a fucking building, and I'm definitely the fucking reason you're even involved in this shit to begin with." He exhaled loudly, crossing his arms and glaring into the dirt. "So just… accept the damn apology, okay? I'd do anything to fix this mess, but I can't, so… I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."_

_"…Anything?"_

* * *

You jerked awake violently, perturbed by the ungodly sound of Smash Mouth blaring through the speakers of Saeyoung's car. After taking half a second to assess the situation, you slowly turned toward your _oh-so-considerate_  driver, giving him a look that could only be described as half-crazed. "You ... are ... the _worst_." 

Grinning wickedly, Saeyoung twiddled his fingers in the air before finally shutting that godawful stereo off. "Had to wake you up somehow, princess," he replied. "Would you rather I gently caress your cheek next time?"

You sighed, rubbing your eyes. "Where are we?" you asked.

"Lord Farqu- I-I mean," he _accidentally_ blurted, covering his mouth with a sheepish smile, "the prince's castle."

You stared at him, unblinking. "You _do_ realize that makes you Shrek, right?"

"Of course! Who wouldn't want to be Shrek?" he said in an oddly soft-spoken tone, and that's when you knew you'd fucked up. "Shrek is love! Shrek is li _—_ "

You interrupted him before he could finish. "Thaaaaat'll do, donkey, that'll fucking _do,_ " you said, actively suppressing memories. 

He broke out into a series of mischievous giggles. 

You unhooked your seatbelt, shaking your head and chuckling. "Yeah, yeah.  _Goodnight,_ weirdo. Make sure to get some sleep when you get home."

He glanced at you, his laughter dissipating. "Home?"

"...Your home," you corrected, kicking yourself internally as you reached for the door handle. "Thanks for ... driving me back, Sev." You unlocked the door, shifting in your seat as you got ready to get out.

Saeyoung's hand shot up, impulsively reaching for your shoulder. "Hey, wait _—_ " 

You tensed up beneath his touch, shying away from him almost instantly, but refusing to turn back. He retracted his hand, falling silent. 

"...I have to get going," you said, lowering your voice. "I'll ... get in touch with you later."

He swallowed hard. "When?"

"I ... don't know. That depends on Jumin." You peered at him from the corner of your eye. "You remember what happened with Elizabeth."

He sighed. "Then, can I ... ask you something?"

You paused. "Quickly."

"Why Jumin?"

Your shoulders fell. _Why Jumin, or why not you?_  "There's no short answer for that."

"You don't have to be detailed."

"Strategy, then," you added. "I weighed my options and analyzed that being with Jumin made the most amount of sense for everyone."

"...That's all?"

You narrowed your eyes. "That's all in the sense _that's all_ I'm going to tell you right now." 

"But _,_ " he paused for a second, thinking, "how did you know? If we _—_ ugh, if I was last, then _—_?"

"This isn't new territory for me," you interjected, completely monotoned. "I've done this route once before. After Zen. Before you."

You weren't looking at him, but you could see his face in the window. His eyes were desperate, searching you for clues. A part of you wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear, but you couldn't. You knew that. And deep down, so did he.

He didn't really need you like he thought he did. You weren't his other half.

"Seven. I have to  _go_." You opened the door, glancing back at him one last time. "Please, just ... [Let me go.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODIT6vBCjpI)"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shorter chapter this time! but i wanted to leave mc's time w saeyoung here for now so that the next part can be dedicated to juju~ ~~miss that boi~~


	9. Je te veux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> srry this one took longer to get out again ughhh i wanted to have it done by valentine's day but nooo i just had to get sick =_= so inconsiderate. anyhoo, hopefully the next chapt will be out faster. and fluffier lmfao.

The elevator ride to the penthouse floor had never felt so inordinately slow, but in all honesty you weren't sure that you minded it. You knew, of course, that this was selfish of you; Jumin was practically beside himself with panic from the messages he left in the chatroom, but that just made you all the more anxious of what he might do when you got home. A large part of you wanted to believe that he wouldn't spiral back into surveillance mode after all the progress the two of you made, but if this incident really had tipped him over the edge again... that was something Saeran simply couldn't afford.

Grimacing slightly, you closed your eyes. You were so damn  _tired_ of resetting. 

You felt the elevator stop with a slight jolt, prompting your eyes open again in time with the doors. Stepping out into the hallway, [a muffled but familiar melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NL8Xq_W_o0) drifted to your ears, undoubtedly coming from inside the penthouse. You felt your stomach twist as you registered the tune.  _Our song._

Beside the penthouse entryway, Jumin's chief of security greeted you with a stiff nod. "Mrs. Han."

You nodded back briefly, then nervously glanced toward the front door. "...How is he?"

The stocky man shifted slightly. "Difficult to say, ma'am."

"But he hasn't done anything," you paused for a moment, your tired mind searching for the right word, " _impulsive_ , has he?"

He raised an eyebrow at you. "Since Mr. Han's return early this morning, he's left the penthouse exactly once to ask where you went and at what time, but I informed him that I did not know, since we later discovered from the CCTV that you left during a security shift. Otherwise I have no knowledge of what _impulsive_ things he may have done within the confines of his own home," he cleared his throat, "aside from asking for my resignation notice, of course."

You felt your face flush. "Oh.I'll ... I'll talk to him."

"That would be much appreciated, ma'am," he added a little curtly. "Shall I announce you?"

"No ... no, that's fine," you said. "I'll just ... go in."

"Of course," he replied, opening the front door and moving aside for you. 

The music practically flooded past the entrance the second it opened, the abruptness of the volume change startling you at first. "How long has—?"

" _Hours._ " You've never seen a man look more sick of a song in your life. 

You sighed, nodding to yourself and dipping inside, the door swiftly closing behind you.  _Why the hell did Jumin's flight have to get cancelled tonight, of all nights?_  You removed your coat and boots while silently cursing the weather, as well as the ridiculous fallout shelter that was Saeyoung's house. After all, if you'd had proper cellphone service when your husband's plans first changed, maybe you could have avoided this situation.

 _Considerations for next time_ , you thought impulsively. You desperately hoped it wouldn't come to that, though.

The lights inside the penthouse were dimmed to their lowest setting, casting a somber aura over the residence as the rain splattered against the windows. You moved slowly across the threshold, glancing around for signs of your husband in a mixed state of worry and confusion. Knowing Jumin, you thought he'd be waiting for you by the door, but he was nowhere to be seen. With that said, you did manage to spot a stray glass of wine on the bedside table, so you knew he had to have been here earlier on.

Pausing for a moment, you turned your attention toward the stereo. Perhaps shutting the music off would alert your husband to your whereabouts? Not to mention that poor security guard would probably appreciate being put out of his misery. You wandered over to the expensive sound system, squinting in the low lighting as you searched for the power button ... but as it turned out, the system was already off.

You stepped backwards, eyes narrowed. If the music wasn't coming from here, then _where the hell—?_

Almost immediately after posing this question to yourself, you began to hurriedly maneuver your way to the other side of the penthouse — an idea suddenly occurring to you. You weren't sure whether your hypothesis was correct, but in the moment you couldn't think of anything else that could possibly be making that music. Had he really hired someone to play thatsong for him ... _right now?_ At this time of night? You knew Jumin could be a bit _dramatic_ , but surely he didn't need a live performer to properly brood over your absence. That was a little overkill, even for him.

Little did you know, the truth would be even more peculiar. Gap moe was strong was this boy; so much so that it was practically, and somewhat ironically, part of his personality.

You stopped dead in your tracks, staring in perplexed awe at the sight of your husband bent over the grand piano in your living room. Up to this point you'd always assumed that the instrument was really only there for its aesthetic qualities, having never seen him personally play it before, or even consider that he _could,_ but in hindsight you realized this was unlikely. Jumin Han was much too practical to let something as large as a piano collect dust within his living space, especially if he didn't value it. Perhaps that was why he wanted you to learn how to play? The man did enjoy his classical music, but he certainly didn't have a lot of free time to spend on a hobby. 

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises," you blurted, half-forgetting your current circumstances.

Your husband stopped playing mid-note, his posture tensing up at the sound of your voice. "...Remnants from my time in the private school sector," he mumbled quietly, his voice uncharacteristically scattered. "I wanted to ... distract ... myself," his hands flitted across the keys, replaying the first few notes of the refrain again, "but it seems you're always in my thoughts."

Suddenly reminded of what you had done, you folded your arms across your chest, glancing off to the side. "Jumin, I—"

"Never do that again," he interjected, a domineering edge to his tone.

You stared at his back, unable to think of a reply. What could you possibly tell him? You didn't want to make false promises, but you knew you were already treading on thin ice. Peering at the floor, you continued softly, "You have ... every right to be upset with me, Jumin, but—"

"Do you have any idea how vulnerable you are?" he asked, abruptly closing the keyboard lid and rising to face you. "You went outside alone, _at night_ , to assist Luciel with— well, only God knows what he was attempting, but that's ... beside the point."

Oh, right, the potato chip pyramid. _That's_ what he told him. You made a mental note to punch Saeyoung the next time you saw him. "It ... seemed ... more urgent ... at the time," you added tentatively, gritting your teeth a little bit.

He flinched, a glint of desperation flickering behind his eyes. "That is all the more reason for you _not_ to go," he said. "I admit that I do not know the exact nature of Luciel's occupation, but based on previous comments—"

"I didn't mean— _ugh_ , I'm not an idiot, Jumin," you interrupted, a bit irked about being lectured. "If I thought it was something I couldn't handle, I wouldn't have gone."

He stared at you earnestly. "I am not questioning your intelligence," he said. "I am merely pointing out that it is impossible to account for every variable of risk."

You let out an agitated sigh, knowing full well that your exhaustion was quickly eating away at your patience. "Jumin, that's ... that's _life_. You can't protect me from everything."

He turned his face away from yours, frowning slightly. "...Yes. I acknowledge that. But certain measures can be taken to minimize the possibility of danger," he continued, approaching you slowly.

"So I should just ignore my friends when they need help because of some next-to-nonexistent chance that I might get hurt?" you retorted, admittedly more harshly than you intended. "I can't _do_ that, Jumin."

"It is possible to assist someone without being directly involved in the matter," he added firmly, fastening his eyes shut in that furrowed look of frustration he usually gets when he's stressed. "All of my bodyguards are at your disposal at any time of day, not to mention Driver Kim. You did not have to go alone, or ideally, at _all_."

You pinched the bridge of your nose, resting your free hand on your hip. "You _know_ Seven wouldn't appreciate having anyone outside of the RFA know where he lives."

" _Then_  someone else within the RFA could have been informed of the situation," Jumin countered, sweeping his arms out in front of him. "Zen, Yoosung, even _Miss Kang_ are all fully capable of intervening in such circumstances—"

You glared up at him. "And I'm _not?_ "

He sighed. "My love, please understand. You are the bravest, _kindest_ , most selfless person I have ever met, but it sca—" he cut himself off, anxiously fiddling with his sleeve. "It is not your personal responsibility to _save everyone_ in need."

Your expression darkened, flashes of the past whizzing through your memories. Maybe it was because you hadn't slept since early yesterday morning, or perhaps you were just too emotionally drained from your conversation with Saeyoung earlier that night. Nevertheless, your ability to be level-headed in situations such as this ... was quickly failing you. "You know, that's _interesting,_ " you snapped. "If I had followed _that_ sort of advice when _you_ needed my help, I wouldn't even _be_ here to begin with."

Jumin Han was not an expressive man; so much so that most people were incapable of reading the subtle changes in his mannerisms, and likewise, his moods. You, however, were not like most people — a fact your husband frequently reminded you of, and cherished deeply. Considering this, [it was easy for you to pinpoint the fraction of a second in which Jumin's heart broke](https://s6.postimg.cc/aoblsvry9/3271e9da75c5b79cf1cba2a862c1f5a8.png).

Your eyes grew wide upon the realization of what you'd said, but they were not nearly as wide as his, nor as heart-wrenchingly sad. "Honey, I ... I'm ... I'm _so_ sorry, I'm just tired, I didn't mean—" you were suddenly cut off, a long pair of arms pulling you into a tight, nearly suffocating embrace. " _Ju-Jumin, what—?"_ You were so caught off guard you couldn't even finish what you were saying.

"I'm sorry, my love," he whispered, cradling his face against the crook of your neck. "I know that my paranoia is largely irrational, not to mention unfair to you, but ... I am a weak, selfish man. From the moment you captured my heart and agreed to be mine, your safety became my utmost priority, because despite the fact you always felt too good to be true, like you were never _supposed_ to be mine, now that you _are_ ... I'll be damned if I let something happen to you." You could feel him pull you in closer, as though afraid you might vanish before his eyes. "So please, just ... _just_ ... promise me. Promise me that you won't take unnecessary risks, that you'll keep yourself safe."

Tears were welling up within the corners of your eyes. "Jumin, I—"

" _Please_. I'm  _begging_ you." You had never seen him so anguished before; he sounded nearly on the brink of tears himself. "I can't— I can't lose you. Not you."

You swallowed hard, pushing him off of you before pulling him back into a kiss. When your lips parted, you stared at him intently. "...You won't. Okay? I'm not going anywhere." _Never, ever again._ "I ... promise."

His shoulders relaxed as he closed his eyes, his forehead resting lightly against yours. "I love you."

You cupped his face gently, shutting your eyes as well. "I love you, too."

And you did. More than he could ever know.

* * *

fan art by [thepetitekitty](http://thepetitekitty.tumblr.com/post/164166343849)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> food for thought: isnt it strange that jumin just so happens to be obsessed w/ the idea of you leaving him when his route is usually the last route you play before the "true ending"? hmm. suspicious.
> 
> oh and in case you're wondering: je te veux is the song that plays when you're having dinner with juju on the 8th day of his route, as seen [here](https://68.media.tumblr.com/05e75d812b784f418a0bae85f6c19ba3/tumblr_inline_oku2ipMnJI1r9mf2y_1280.png)
> 
> EDIT: holy shit!??!?!? big s/o to thepetitekitty for the fan art I LOVE IT?????


	10. Mysterious Clues

_The stairwell lights flickered erratically, casting strange shadows along the walls; tall ones, thin ones, some that smiled, and some that laughed, and laughed, and laughed._

_S̷͢h̷́͘͡ę̸̨͏̧͜͡t̸̸͠u̵̕͟͏͟r͘͏͘͏n̢̨̨̛e̶̴͝d̕͏̷͜ ̵̧̡́͝a̢̡b̸̵̧͢͟o҉ù̵̧t̛͘͡͡-̷̷̕͜f̡̕a͠͏͝c̶͜҉e͝,̸̶̧̕ ̧́h̶̶̨͡é̴̡̨́ŕ̢ ̵̢̕e̢̧͝y͟͏̴̧ȩ́͟͢ś̵̶̛ ̸̷̢̛͢r̷͝i̴͘d̴̕͝d͝l̴e̷̕d̀ ͢͟w̴̨̡͡i̶̢͝ţ́͡h̵̕ ͢͠͏̨ṕ̸͠a̴͘͡ń̕i̵̷̢͜c̛.̶"͢͞Ş̀͠-́̕S̵͝͠a̶͜͞e̕͝͞—̸͏̵̵̴?̵̴̨͜!̷̕"̸̧̧͟͜_

_"Surprised to see me, hmm? Were you expecting someone else?" the shadow jeered, stepping out from around the corner._ **  
**  
_̸̵͏͜"̛͟͢?͘͞ģ̀͢͞n̴̕͡͡u͟͠ơ̷̵͡y͠͝ę҉͏҉͞a͟Ś̷̛͞ ͏̛͏̢͝ş̀͝i̢͝ ̶̧̛è̸̢̛̀r̸̸̛ȩ̷̛͘͠h̴̢̕͟Ẃ̕.̷̴͘.͏͢͏͠.͟҉"_

 _"Shh, all in due time," he whispered, pressing a finger to his mask. "Just come with me quietly. I'll be nice if you do." The white haired man glided across the floor, a curious twinkle in his eye._   

  

**"̗̺̻͊͋̋̐ͥͩ̀̃T̳̣̼͔͙̣̙̣̬͗͌͑ͤ͋̊̌h͙ͫ͂̊͒͒ͬ͆e̞̟̬̦̰̫ͦ̄ͨ͂͛̒̽ ̙̖̘͔͓̈́̋ͪ̍̇̌̾ͦ̍S̖̦̯̼̜͍̘̉͂̀̾͂ȁ͖̪̻͍̞̩͕̓̇͂̒v̬̤͖̔͐͊̚ì̤̮͙̩̗̘̩͕̘̂ͧͭ̄o̹ͮụ̣̮̖͎̂ͩ͂̎r̝̟͓̜͉̃ ̲̤̪͔͙̳͚̮͙̓̒ͧ̄̓̎̓j̭̫͍̘̰ͯͮ̋̌u͚͓̳͑͂͗̋ͯ̽s͔̜̆ͨt̹̎̒ͭ̀͂̏ ̻͇̩͉͉ͬͭ́ͣ͒͊ͬ̿w̜̙͉̟̖͈̥͍̾̿͐ͦ̚ȃ̰̓͊ͮͨ͛̀ͧ̚ṅ͉̳̾̒ț̫̣͍̪̩͕̓ͨ̔̄́ŝ͍̠̠̓ͣͧͤͦͣ͆ͬ ̤̭̦̫̈́͛̆̒ͪ̚t̻̖̥͎͐̃̊̏̅ͫͬ̒o͍͕̦̫̝̳̲͉ͪͯͣ͑̋ ͎̪͙͔̝̞̭̝ͩ́̊͆̔ͫm̹̣̪̦̺ͧͅe͉͍͕̺̟̳̟̰ͤͥͫ͆ͧͤ́̈́̚e͇ͥ̅͛t̹̯̹̱͙̗͉̜ͩ͑̈ ̥͓̬̭̲̖̗̬̫̊y̖̖̘ͮ̈̂̌̂ͣ̍o̪̬͇͚̲̺͙͕̒̆̑͗̄́͂̅̾u͇̫̯͉̞͙̲ͧ͊.̘͔̓ͨ"̜͐ͥ**

 

 


	11. Mrs. Han

_"You're an idiot," he said, his pale green eyes burrowing into your own. "A crazy, suicidal idiot."_

_"That's not—" You stopped, sighing. "Saeran, I— I know how this sounds, but if you believe me like you say you do, then this is the only way."_

_He scowled at you. "Yeah, and I don't give a single rat's ass," he replied, point blank. "Look, I can— I understand everything else," his jaw clenched as he instinctively reached toward his right bicep, "but if blowing your goddamn brains out is the only way to go about fixing this shit, I'm putting my fucking foot down."_

_You watched him intently. "…You don't have to worry, Saeran. This has happened to me before. I just go back." You closed your eyes, breathing deeply. "It's fine. I'll be fine."_

_He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Oh, you're sure of that are you?"_

_"Yes." You weren't._

_He stared at you, unblinking, then glared off into the distance. "…Alright! Fine," he said, throwing up his hands in defeat. "We'll make it a pact, then."_

_You blinked. "What?"_

_"You go, I go," he reiterated, shrugging nonchalantly. "I mean, I always figured I'd kill myself one day, so what the hell! Why not? You can pick the time, I'll get the pills— Oh, you're good with overdosing, right? It's a shit way to go, but I don't know where Saeyoung put my fucking gun, so that's off the table." He glanced back at you, expression blank. "So? How 'bout it?"_

_You glared back at him, biting your lip. You knew exactly what that little shit was doing, but here you were, playing into his hands regardless._

_He tilted his head to the side. "Hmmm…? Why are you hesitating?" he asked. "I thought it didn't matter."_

_"It doesn't matter for me, not—"_

 _"Oh? And why's that?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest. "If the timeline resets anyway, it shouldn't matter whether I live or die." He gasped suddenly, eyes widening in faux shock. "Wait, don't tell me you're having doubts_ now _? And here you were so confident in this plan moments ago."_

_You turned your face away from him, grimacing angrily as he loomed over you._

_"Yeah. That's what I thought." He turned around, walking back toward the direction of the cabin. "C'mon, dipshit, we'll figure something else out. You reset under other circumstances, right? Maybe if—"_

_"I shouldn't have told you any of this," you muttered, thinking aloud. "I just… I wanted someone else to know my intentions, just in case it didn't— Ha. Hahaha. Shit. You're never going to leave me alone again, are you?" Your hands were shaking as you unzipped your jacket, reaching into the inner pocket. "Forgive me for this. He needs you more than me."_

_"What the hell are y—?" his words fell flat as he peered over his shoulder, eyes widening with certain dread. "N-No, wait, what the fuck are you doing? Put that shit down! Where the hell did you even find— Oh god, no no no NO NO NO NO N—"_

* * *

You bolted upright, chest heaving as you instinctively reached for your throat. It took you a minute to fully realize that it was over, that you weren't in that place anymore, but even then you still felt riddled with anxiety. Struggling to control your breathing, you quickly glanced toward your husband — worried that your outburst might have awoken him — but fortunately for you, during the five or so hours Jumin Han actually slept in a given night, the man was practically incapable of being disturbed.

You relaxed slightly, smiling down at Jumin as he slept; sprawled out on his side, curled towards you protectively, one arm tucked beneath his pillow, the other still draped across your waist. You chuckled a little, realizing how rare it was for you to actually _see_ him like this. Jumin made a habit of going to bed later than you did, and tended to wake up earlier than you as well, but at this point you weren't actually certain whether he had always been like this or if he was just a brazen somnophiliac. To be fair, though, you had to admit that you also enjoyed watching him sleep. Jumin seemed more at peace like this, with his soft breathing, ruffled hair, and lax expression. You'd almost be tempted to give him a kiss, _but_ ... that'd wake him up for certain, and you knew damn well things wouldn't stop there. 

...Well, not that you necessarily _minded_ that. You glanced back over him, contemplating, but then—

Your phone buzzed on the nightstand next to the bed, alerting you of a notification. You sighed, already anticipating the inevitable as you snuck out of Jumin's gentle grasp, leaning forward to grab your over-glorified C&R pager. The screen read 11:25AM, followed by a wall of missed calls; nine of them from work, and the other from ... uh, Zen? For some reason? You narrowed your eyes, dismissively shaking your head as you begrudgingly toppled out of bed. Whatever he wanted to talk to you about at six in the damn morning, it'd have to wait till later.

Strolling through the penthouse until you thought you were out of Jumin's earshot, you redialed one of your numerous missed calls. "It's me. Yes, I know. _I know._ It couldn't be helped, Assistant Kweon, Mr. Han's flight was cancelled late last night," you explained, speaking over the clearly flustered assistant. "Have you contacted Representative Oda about rescheduling? Please do, then. I'll warn you that he tends to get terribly cross over these things, but we _cannot_ let these negotiations fall thr— Hmm? Ah, no. Mr. Han won't be in today, he's very tired from last night's… ordeal. Oh, will I? Is… that… absolutely necessary? Oh, no, nothing's going on. Yes, I can swing by within the hour, pending traffic. I'll get going, then."

You sighed as you hung up the phone. You really didn't _want_ to go, especially considering what happened last night, but you supposed it couldn't be helped. Despite what changes you and your husband had made to C &R's administration team and their overall workload distribution, they were still absolutely swamped when the both of you missed work unexpectedly. You'd just have to leave Jumin a note for when he woke up, assuming he didn't before you left.

Wandering over and into the absurdly large walk-in closet that your husband had insistedupon for the sake of his many,  _many_  gifts to you, you began to compile your outfit for the day. You absentmindedly shifted through the wracks, snatching a blouse here, a pair of heels there, until finally making it over to the dresser dedicated solely to your pants. Yes, your _pants._

You've warned Jumin before that he was going to spoil you rotten with all this, but he only smiled at you, saying,  _"Your love is worth infinitely more than anything I could ever possibly buy, my dear. It is a meagre compensation at best."_ You reminded him that you didn't _need_ compensation for anything. _"Perhaps, but you'll have it all the same. Besides, I must confess that I'm rather addicted to that embarrassed little look you give me whenever I shower you with presents, so if you truly want me to “chill,” you'll have to stop being so unspeakably adorable — which is an objective impossibility, I'm afraid."_

"And just where do you think you're going?" 

You jumped a little, pulled out of your memory by the sudden presence of arms around your waist. 

"The office," you replied, glancing over your shoulder at your sleepy-eyed husband. He must have just woken up. "One of us has to and it isn't going to be you, _so_."

Jumin raised an eyebrow, smiling softly. "Decided that, did you?"

"Yes, I did," you began, turning back to the dresser drawers, "I want you to relax today. I can tell you're still exhausted." 

"So are you," he countered.

"I'm perfectly fine," you replied, actively suppressing a yawn as you withdrew a pair of dress pants.

"So am I," he countered again, momentarily moving one of his hands to brush your hair back from your neck.

"Don't be stubborn. _I'm_ going," you insisted. "Just go back to bed, honey." 

Jumin huffed, tightening his hold on you. "Only if you join me. The bed feels empty without you," he whispered, grazing his lips beside your ear. 

You shivered against his breath, closing the drawer hastily. " _Subtle_ ," you replied, biting your lip as you plopped your clothes on top of the dresser, "but they're expecting me soon."

"Miss Kang could pop in for us?" he suggested. "Surely she could handle anything they might need you to do."

A slight smile crossed your face. " _Mmm._ There's a slight problem with that." You turned in his embrace, staring up at him. " _Jeahee_ doesn't work for you anymore."

His brow furrowed inquisitively. "So?" 

You snorted, whacking him on the shoulder lightly. "I'm  _just_ popping in to take care of a few little things. I'll be quick, I promise."

He peered at you skeptically, looming over you. "There's no such thing as a quick trip to C&R. You'll be gone for hours, and what will I do then?"

You tilted your head to the side, smirking. " _Well,_ I seem to recall you telling me this building has everything from a shopping mall to a concert hall in it," you reminded him in a teasing tone. "There's plenty to do here."

A ghost of a grin played at his lips. "I can assure you that none of those aforementioned establishments can provide me with what I truly want to _do,_ " he said, his hands roaming around the hem of your shorts. 

You laughed, swatting his hands away playfully. "Then I suppose you'll just have to _wait_."  

He leaned back, eyes slightly narrowed. "Hmm? I don't like waiting."

"Oh? I could  _make_ you like waiting," you retorted, smiling as innocently as you could. 

His eyes widened for a fraction of a second, a slight flush on his cheeks. He cleared his throat, chuckling. "Well. You could certainly _try_ , my dear."

You couldn't help but grin. "That sounds like a challenge to me." 

He smirked. "If it _was_ ," he began, closing the slight gap between the two of you, "you'd  _lose._ "

You giggled, wrapping your arms around his neck. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that. I can be _quite_ resourceful when I want to be." Suddenly you sighed, thinking of the time. "ButI really _do_ need to get ready now, Jumin." 

He frowned, holding you firmly in place. "No."

You let go of him, placing your hands on his chest. " _Honey_ , please. Let me do this for you."

" _No,_ " he repeated, clutching you stubbornly."I miss my wife. Stay with me."

" _Miss_ me?" you echoed, snickering. "Since we started working together, we've barely spent a moment apart."

He sighed, glancing away from you. "I know. To think we have to spend any time apart at all is truly tragic."

You huffed, shaking your head. "Darling husband, have I ever told you that you're maybe just a _touch_ melodramatic?" you asked, poking him. 

"Once or twice, perhaps," he replied, smiling down at you. "But in earnest, my love," he continued, whispering, "I'd prefer ... to be by your side today."

You stared up at your husband sadly, contemplating your options, until finally giving in. "... _Well._  If you can promise me that you won't overexert yourself, why don't we both go to C&R, deal with whatever they need done, and then go out for dinner together afterwords?"

He relinquished you from his embrace. "A reasonable compromise."

"Good. Get dressed, then," you said, gathering up your clothes and walking out of the closet. "I'm going to have a quick shower before we leave!" you called back.

…No sooner had you ventured to the bathroom, though, the handle was turning behind you.

You paused suddenly, glaring into the mirror and drumming your fingers on the countertop. "…I said a _quick_ shower."

Jumin stared at your reflection from the doorframe with a knowing smile. "I already explained that I wanted to be by your side today, did I not?"

"In the same literal room, though?"

"It was implied."

You shook your head. "You're incorrigible. You know that, right?"

He smirked, closing the door as he stepped behind you. "And you're still wearing clothes. Would you like some help with that, my love?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look when i said fluffier i didn't mean i wouldn't include any angst at all  
>  ~~gave u two chapts to make up for it heh~~  
>  also sorry for the late update agaaaain damn uni shit always getting in the way of what really matters in life, amirite?


	12. We're off to See the Hacker [APRIL FOOLS]

(<https://goo.gl/AyPhz9>)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy april fools' day y'all B)  
>  ~~ill have an actual update as soon i swear lmfao~~  
>  EDIT: chatroom layout designed by zentherainbowunicorn


	13. Café de Kang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mushu_I_LIIIIIIIIIIVE.gif  
> behold, faithful followers: i have returned, victorious, from exams & have unwittingly turned this fic into a coffee shop au  
> enjoy

" _See?_ I told you it wouldn't take that long."

Jumin's mouth twisted into an amused sort of smirk as the two of you exited C&R's headquarters. "So it didn't," he concurred, his tone ever-so-slightly teasing you, "but I believe my presence may have helped to expedite matters."

You scrunched up your face. " _Pff_. You can't prove that."

He chuckled, striding over to the limousine that was already parked out front. "If you say so, dear," he replied, opening the door for you all suave and gentlemanlike.

You rolled your eyes, sneering at him in a playful fashion as you slipped into the vehicle. Your husband followed suit shortly thereafter, plopping down directly beside you despite the _significant_ amount of other seats available to him. Like, the limo could literally occupy up to eight people, but no. Jumin _had_ to be at your hip at all times. This wasn't even because of what happened last night, either. The dude was just … super clingy?

You didn't really mind, though. The attention was … nice.

"So," Jumin mused, draping an arm over your shoulder, "where shall we tell Driver Kim to take us?"

"Hmm." You glanced down at your ludicrously expensive, diamond-studded wristwatch. "It's a bit early for dinner, isn't it? Maybe we should just wait."

Jumin frowned. "No. You've hardly eaten anything since yesterday," he said, extending his hand to caress the side of your cheek. "We should get something light, at the very least."

"Something light?" you echoed, mulling over an idea that suddenly came to mind. " _Weeeell_ , I may know a place, then…"

* * *

If you envied Jaehee Kang for anything, it was for how fast her hair seemed to grow. It'd only been about a month since she'd stepped down from her assistant's position at C&R, yet her once immaculately maintained pixie cut had already lengthened into a curly, shoulder-length bob. You had to smile, though: She looked the way she wanted, acted the way she wanted, and was particularly enthused by the fact she was no longer restricted to formal wear. Now, with that said, the business world wasn't all sunshine and roses either: For one thing, she certainly wasn't as free as she hoped she'd be, _but_ … there was something about the way Jaehee carried herself now that suggested she was, at the very least, happy.

"My apologies!" Jaehee called from over her shoulder; clearly aware that someone had just entered the café, but unsuspecting that it was you. "I'll be with you in a moment."

You chuckled, watching as your friend hurriedly stacked an assortment of coffee mugs on the shelving units behind the front counter. "Take your time, Jae. Don't rush on our account."

Jaehee stopped what she was doing, perking up almost instantly in response to your voice. She swiveled her head to the side and smiled wide as she locked eyes with you — which, naturally, prompted her to put the mugs away in an even hastier manner than before. You laughed again, insisting that she really ought to slow down before she accidently broke something, but it did little good; she didn't want to keep you waiting.

"Old habits die hard, I see," Jumin muttered, loitering beside you rather awkwardly. The tone of his remark actually hinted of mild amusement, but you nudged him in the side regardless; warning him to behave as you exchanged pleasantries with your friend. His rigid stature and cool expression did little in terms of reassurance, however.

"So what brings you by?" Jaehee eventually inquired, giving the two of you her full attention now that her task was complete.

"My wife wanted to visit you," Jumin answered dryly, seemingly disinterested in the whole affair, but his eyes betrayed a certain underlying curiosity as he silently surveyed the café.

You sighed, giving your husband a wry side glance. "Uh-huh, sure. We _both_ did," you corrected, turning your attention towards Jaehee again. "I hope you don't mind us popping by unexpectedly like this, though?"

"Oh heavens, no! I'm glad to see you." Jaehee smiled reassuringly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She peered at Jumin just then, her smile turning a little nervous in the presence of her old boss. "And you, Mr. Han," she added, albeit a little quieter than before.

"…It has been a while," he whispered, his voice brimming with a vague sense of sentimentality, albeit not strongly enough for Jaehee to pick up on. You realized something as he spoke, though.

"Oh hang on, you haven't been here since construction started, have you, Jumin?" you asked, turning towards your husband. "It's got a bit of a Parisian look to it, don't you think?" you said, attempting to prod a positive response out of him instead of asking what he thought of the place outright. You didn't think he'd hate it or anything, but Jumin did have a habit of prioritizing constructive criticism over … _literally_ anything else, which presented a bit of a problem when you were actively trying to improve their relationship.

He considered your assessment for a moment, then nodded once. "In a quaint sort of way, I suppose," he replied, expressionless, but  at least it felt more like a compliment than otherwise. "Although—"

…Dammit. You tried.

"—business seems rather slow," Jumin continued, frowning ever-so-slightly at the unoccupied tables and booths. "Has there been issues with the location? I had wondered whether there would be too much competition for a place like this downtown, but with the university so close by—"

"The café always slows down a little around this time of day, Mr. Han. If you had come by at noon, I'm afraid we would've been at our seating capacity," Jaehee replied, calmly interjecting herself before Jumin could start lecturing her about advertisement strategies.

Jumin raised his eyebrows for a split second, visibly relieved, but soon reverted back to his previous, standoffish demeanor. "I see. Good, then."

Jaehee shared a perplexed look with you, but ultimately brushed off Jumin's conduct with a sigh. She must have been used to this sort of thing by now. "Would the two of you like to take a seat? Anywhere you wish is fine. I'll come by with some menus in a few minutes."

"Sure, sure," you replied, already eying a nice, sunlit table near the front window. "Thanks, Jae."

* * *

"…You can unclench now, honey. She's gone into the back."

Jumin glared at you, huffing slightly at the remark, but relaxed into his chair nevertheless. "Perhaps we should've gone somewhere else," he mumbled, fidgeting with his cufflink.

You frowned, folding your arms on top of the table. "And why's that? You didn't object before."

He looked at you as though the answer was seemingly obvious. "For your sake, I didn't, but … my being here _is_ a trifle awkward, dear."

"I don't see why it should be? It's not as though you fired her," you replied, a little puzzled. "I mean, the last time the two of you were in the same room together she _literally_ hugged you."

He visibly shuddered. "I know. Don't remind me."

…It took a _considerable_ amount of self-restraint to stop yourself from bursting into laughter right then and there. "Traumatized, were you?" you asked, cocking your head to the side.

"Yes," he said, completely serious. "Irreversibly so."

You snorted, shaking your head in disbelief. "Sweetheart. That's ridiculous, even for you."

Jumin narrowed his eyes. "…I'm not quite sure how to take that?"

You smirked. "Take it as me asking whether that's _really_ the reason, then."

He sighed. "What else would it be?"

"Well, I don't know," you said, a little exasperated. "I can't read your mind, love."

He didn't say anything to that, but after a moment of pause … he glanced away rather dejectedly, something clearly on his mind.

You sat up a little straighter, your brow now furrowed with concern. "…Jumin?"

He breathed deeply. "I never kne— No. No, I never _noticed_ ," he admitted, his hand balling into a fist on top of the table. "She was miserable, _truly_ miserable, but I was just … too preoccupied with my own troubles to realize. Meanwhile she— she's the reason I met _you_." He closed his eyes. "Can you imagine what would have happened, if you weren't here? What I might have done when she—?" he cut himself off, shaking his head.

You sat back in your chair, caught off guard by his sudden confession. Your eyes drifted to the ground, wishing you could disagree with him, or assure him he wouldn't have been as callous toward her as he assumed, _but_ … you had lived through that timeline before, the one he couldn't will himself to imagine, and you knew he was right.

"She … doesn't hate you for what happened," you said, offering him a different truth instead. "Besides, I'm sure if she knew what was going on, she'd hardly— _Oh._ " You glanced back upwards only to immediately bite your lip, stopping yourself midsentence.

Evidently, Jumin didn't seem to notice. "I appreciate the sentiment, dear, but I … don't want to make excuses for myself. It'd probably be better for her if I just—"

"Uh, J-Jumin?"

He paused, tilting his head to the side. "Yes? What's—?"

Jaehee cleared her throat from behind Jumin's seat, which nearly startled him out of his skin. You didn't know how long she'd been standing there, or how the hell she managed to sneak up on you two like that, but from her wide eyes and gaping mouth, you assumed she heard … enough.

The dead silence that followed this revelation felt almost unbearably long, with everyone's faces plastered with some varying degree of embarrassment. Jumin's was … by far the worst, though. You weren't quite sure if you've ever seen him _mortified_ before, but he definitely was. Ooooooh boy, was he.

Eventually, Jaehee decided to speak first. "…I, uhm. Made this. F-For you," she stuttered, presenting the cappuccino she was holding to Jumin. She set the beverage down gently, careful to ensure she didn't accidently disturb the foam art that looked suspiciously like Elizabeth the 3rd.

He stared at it, seemingly dumbstruck.

You decided to say something for him, lest you all descend into that godawful silence again. "Jaehee, is that…?"

"It … is," she replied, her cheeks flushing to a cherry shade. "I al-already knew how you take your coffee, s-so I thought that I'd just … you know? You know." An awkward laugh slipped past her lips. "O-Oh, would you look at that! I completely forgot the menus. I'll… I'll just—"

"How did you manage to get her paws to stick over the side like that?" Jumin asked out of the blue, his voice unusually quiet.

"Oh. It's just a trick I learned during my research." She folded her hands in front of her apron, wringing them anxiously. "Do you … like it?"

Jumin began by nodding slowly, then finally spoke. "Yes, it's … very cute. Rather accurate, too."

Jaehee shifted in her stature awkwardly, but she seemed pleased. "…I'm glad you think so, Mr. Han."

"Oh." He narrowed his eyes contemplatively. "There's … no need for that anymore, I think. I'm not your boss." He paused, tapping his index finger against the table, as though working up the courage to do something. "…Jaehee."

You and Jaehee both jumped a little, surprised to hear him address her so casually. "Al-Alright," she murmured. "I'll … get those menus now. Enjoy your drink, uh … J-Jumin."

His eyes flickered back to the drink, frowning somewhat. "Hmm. I almost wish I didn't have to. I don't want to ruin the design."

Jaehee paused, chuckling lightly as she started to turn away. "Well, they're not that difficult to make."

"I guess we'll have to come by more often, then," you added, a coy smile spreading across your face. "I mean, assuming that's alright with you two…?"

The two of them glanced toward each other, only to immediately turn away after accidently locking eyes.

"That's … certainly fine by me," Jaehee muttered.

Jumin cleared his throat, stifling the smile which threatened to overtake his face. "Then I suppose we shall."

(illustration by [moonglademermaid](http://moonglademermaid.deviantart.com/art/Mc-and-jumin-at-the-cafe-675502603)) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shout out to my sis for the drawin :")  
> ALSO, quick question for y'all:  
> do u guys want me to reveal mc's name at some point?  
> i mean currently ive avoided having other characters address the mc by her first name bc this way everyone can project their own mcs onto this one w/o me actually using stuff like [Y/N] & whatnot (since i personally find that stuff super distracting in fics lmfao)  
> BUUUT at this point ive probably given this mc enough of a personality that maybe she should have her own name? so let me know what u think. i made a poll for u guys so u dont have to comment ur thoughts if u dont want to, but make sure to vote if this is smthin u care abt, bc ill be making my decision based on the results when the next chapt is out. heres the poll link: [EDIT: poll's over! check chapt 18 for results. thanks for participating!!]  
> also keep in mind if i reveal her name ill probably also reveal other stuff abt her (age, background, etc)


	14. Divide et Impera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> well that took longer than expected  
> but aNYWAY  
> ive decided to keep that poll open abt mc a little longer, so if you havent voted yet: [EDIT: poll's over! check chapt 18 for results. thanks for participating!!]

By the end of your midafternoon snack, Jumin and Jaehee had actually spoken more to each other than they had with you — despite their initial misgivings. Truthfully, though, a small part of you _was_ beginning to feel like a bit of a third wheel here, _but_ …

 

"How are things at the office? Alright, I hope?" Jaehee asked, having brought another chair to the table. There were very few other people in the café at the moment, so it didn't really matter that she wasn't behind the front counter.

"Ever monotonous," Jumin replied, only to promptly change the subject. "Elizabeth appears to miss you."

You raised an eyebrow from the other side of the table, suppressing the urge to smirk. _Talk about projection._

Jaehee gave an awkward, half-hearted smile. "Ah. That's, um … unfortunate?"

"Mmm, quite," he said, nodding obliviously. "Perhaps you could watch her sometime? For old time's sake, as they say."

"... _What_?" A look of unbridled horror overcame Jaehee, presumably haunted by the "c-hair" manifestations of the not-so-distant past. "That's … _no_. Absolutely not."

He furrowed his brow, sighing. "…It was a joke."

" _Oh_ ," she replied, visibility relieved. "Uhm … haha?"

Jumin scowled. "Don't humor me with your contemptuous pity-laughs, Jaehee. I realize my humor is an _acquired taste_."

"Has anyone acquired it yet?" Jaehee asked, albeit impulsively, because she quickly clasped a hand right over her mouth.

You, loyal wife that you were, instantly started to laugh. "Damn, Jumin, she just came for your _life_. How's it feel to be dragged?"

Jumin's mouth had flattened into a thin line. "It _feels_ like our waitress's tip has gotten significantly smaller," he said, which only made you laugh harder. Jaehee, meanwhile, was growing redder by the second, and her hand had all but eclipsed her face.

"Aww, honey, don't be like that!" you said, still snickering. "Besides, _I_ think you're funny."

He sighed. " _Yes_ , but you also seem to find amusement in Luciel's antics, so it is safe to say that virtually anything is funny to you, dear," Jumin retorted, his remark prompting a brief chuckle from Jaehee.

You and Jumin spun your heads toward Jaehee in unison, staring at her in near disbelief. She narrowed her eyes, looking back and forth between the two of you with a look of confusion plastered across her face. "What?"

"Did you just—?" you asked, a tentative grin creeping up your lips.

Realization suddenly setting in, Jaehee grew immediately defensive. "N-No, I just—"

"Ha. You _did,_ " Jumin tittered, thoroughly pleased with himself. "I'll have to chide Luciel more often, if that's what amuses you."

She scrunched up her face, grumbling to herself quietly. "It … it was a _scoff_ at best."

 

… watching them converse so informally was more than enough compensation for you.

In all honesty, though, you never thought you'd actually see them like this; openly chatting with each other, relatively relaxed, even if it was marginally awkward at times. You knew they've always held each other in a certain kind of _respect_ , but given the dynamics of their working relationship and, frankly, the countless number of misunderstandings to pass between them, it was very, _very_ difficult for you to figure out a way to _mediate_ — especially considering Jaehee's initial reluctance towards you.

You understood her reasoning, of course. After your marriage to Jumin, you were no longer just another RFA member; you were her boss's _wife_. Whatever she thought of you before, she certainly couldn't open up to you now — lest her plights fall on unsympathetic ears, or worse, _Jumin's_. Considering this, you'd almost given up trying to re-befriend Jaehee. It seemed like an impossible task: She was an inherently cautious person and really had no _reason_ to believe that you'd ever be able to look at her situation objectively. Thus, in spite of your many attempts to engage in private conversation, Jaehee never really took to your advances.

At least, not until she was truly desperate.

* * *

**SEPT 23, 2016**

"Jumin…? What are you doing?" you asked groggily, squinting to see in the dark.

Jumin was standing by the window, staring serenely at the urban night cityscape with a glass of wine in hand. "Did I wake you?" he asked, shifting his gaze in your direction without actually moving his head. Was he still wearing the clothes he had on at dinnertime?

"It's fine," you said, yawning a little as you checked the time: 2:25 AM. You frowned, realizing he probably hadn't slept at all. "Is … everything alright, honey?"

A small, sad sort of smile flitted across his face for a moment. "It's nothing of dire consequence, love."

You pulled yourself upwards, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. "So it is of _some_ consequence, then?"

"…Some," he said.

"Tell me," you insisted.

He sighed, turning around. "My father decided to transfer a new project to my department, despite the fact he knows I'm still in the midst of dealing with our lawsuit against the Choi sisters." He took a sip of his wine, his expression exasperated. "It's a trifle inconvenient."

You offered him a sympathetic look. "Can you refuse?"

"Technically, but from past experiences I know that would be unwise," he said, grimacing a little. "As much as I respect my father, he can be … quite _petty_ when he feels he's been slighted. Refusing him now would only exacerbate the matter, so unfortunately it's better to just comply."

You took a moment of pause before speaking again. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He raised his brow, staring at you as he thought, but then suddenly shook his head. "No … no. That's kind of you, but company policy prohibits me from allowing anyone unaffiliated with C&R to assist with business matters."

You tilted your head to the side, smiling somewhat. "I'm hardly unaffiliated, honey."

He huffed, closing his eyes. "Actually, yes, you are," he retorted, an irritated edge to his tone. "My father may not care to remember such things, but the spouse of an executive _isn't_ automatically granted clearance within the company."

Your eyes widened a little before glancing away, taken aback by his abrasiveness. "S-Sorry, I just…"

Jumin opened his eyes again, sighing. "…I apologize, that was unnecessarily curt. I know your intentions are pure, but I have to stick to protocol." He raised his glass again, swirling the dark liquid contemplatively. "If only out of principle," he added.

You folded your legs up to your chest. "I … understand," you began, choosing your next words carefully, "but is there really nothing I can do? I'd still like to help somehow, even if it isn't directly tied to the company."

Jumin smiled thinly, setting his drink down on the end table. He wandered back over to the bed and sat down beside you, brushing your bangs aside to place a kiss on your forehead. "I'll be fine, love. Just go back to sleep," he whispered.

You looked into his eyes as he pulled away from you. "Are you … planning to stay up?"

"For now. I need to finish up a few work-related things," he said, standing up again. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

You almost couldn't believe what you were seeing. "You gave the coffee shop project to _Jaehee_?" you said, thoroughly perplexed by the exchange being held between Jaehee and Zen in the chatroom right now. It wouldn't be the first time that events from previous timelines had overlapped, but why would Jumin do this again? _Now?_ It didn't make any sense.

"I did." His reply was straight-forward and monotone. He didn't even look up from the documents he was reviewing as he said it.

You leaned against the doorway to his home office, folding your arms in front of you. "Why _?_ "

He glanced upwards, expression blank. "…I employ her?"

"You employ a lot of people," you countered.

He set his paperwork down finally, leaning back in his chair. "Are we playing a game right now? Stating the obvious?" he asked. "If so, this isn't the best of times, dear."

You blinked. _The hell was his problem?_ "Jumin. _Why_ did you give the project to Jaehee? She's already supposed to be working on that cat hotel presentation for you."

He let out a shallow sigh. "Assistant Kang is perfectly capable of managing two projects at once. She's done so many times before."

You stared at him, unrelenting. "Did they need to be completed within the same week?"

"She'll be _fine_."

Did he just … _roll his eyes at you?_

You paused, watching him turn back to his work. "I don't understand why you just didn't give the project to someone else," you added, lowering your voice.

"You don't _need_ to understand," he snapped, but not bothering to look up at you. "This matter doesn't concern you."

Your jaw went slack, genuinely shocked by his completely unprecedented behavior. "Jumin, _why_ —?"

His phone buzzed, interrupting you. He glanced down at the screen, ignoring you completely, then arose from his seat. "I have to go. I'm meeting with our lawyers to prepares for the next hearing," he said. "I expect I won't be home for dinner, so don't wait up for me."

Your husband rushed past you and out the front door without so much as a goodbye, leaving you feeling a little … _drained_ in his wake. You decided to walk into his office, settling down in the chair he'd just been occupying; a mixture of confusion and concern plastered across your face. This … was bad. Really, _truly_ bad. Were events going to play out like they did before — in  Jaehee's timeline? And if so, what would that even _mean_ for her, or Jumin, or C&R — or hell, for _everything_?

… _No_. It couldn't play out like before, could it? Without your motivational influence, Jaehee never would have stood up to Jumin like she did back then, much less "allowed" Saeyoung to make the cat hotel presentation for her or start up her own business. You leaned forward in Jumin's chair, combing your hands through your hair with a frustrated sigh. _She was going to do it all by herself, wasn't she?_ You laughed. Yeah, _of course_ she was. That's what Jaehee _did,_ mental health and happiness be damned.

 _Ugh_. Why did this have to happen?

From the corner of your eye, you noticed that one of the drawers on your husband's desk was slightly ajar. Being the type of person that you are, you instinctively went to shut it, _but then …_ You stopped, an instinctive suspicion buzzing at the back of your head, and opened the drawer instead.

Just then, like a beacon in the night, you spotted it: A thick file labelled only as "Cat Hotel Chain – 2016," all neatly compiled and … _extremely_ tempting.

* * *

(<https://goo.gl/8rH1Hw>)

* * *

**SEPT 30, 2016**

You were fortunate, in a way, that Jaehee's budding passion for the coffee shop project hadn't diminished without you as a confidante. After all, if she'd conceded to Jumin's wishes and prioritized the cat hotel presentation, then a solid three days of pristine over-glorification of Elizabeth the 3rd would've gone to waste — and that'd just be a pity for everyone.

"I can't thank you enough," Jaehee told you over the phone, the gratitude in her voice evident. "I'm not sure that I would have added some of the, ah … _enthusiasm_ for Mr. Han's cat, but … I understood your intent."

You chuckled, pulling your legs onto the sofa. "Honestly, Jaehee, it was no problem at all. If there's one thing I know I'm good at, it's kissing my husband's ass — which is all he really wants from these projects, anyway." The line was silent. "I-I mean, _figuratively_ speaking, y'know?" you added.

"Hmm? Oh. Oh no, I was just…" she trailed off.

You narrowed your eyes. "Jaehee?"

You heard her sigh. "…I'm sorry. I've been a little withdrawn towards you lately, haven't I?" she admitted. "It's not that I didn't like you, it's just … I mean, you're—"

"Jaehee, it's alright. You don't have to explain yourself," you said, gently reassuring her. "And … if talking to me is really that uncomfortable for you, then I understand if you don't—"

"Do you like musicals?" she blurted, interrupting you.

"…Hmm?"

"W-Well," she began, her voice hinting of nervousness, "during this … whole … _ordeal_ , Zen managed to pull some strings at the location for his next production, so I was thinking— _Ooh_ , wait," she cut herself off, grumbling beneath her breath. "He … only got one ticket. Gosh, I'm sorry, I didn't think this through."

You laughed. "Dude. I'm like, _outrageously_ rich."

"Oh. Yes, I suppose you are," she said. "So … you'll come, then? I mean, if you want to."

"…Sounds fun," you replied, grinning.

Technically you had no idea whether she was smiling or not, but you liked to imagine she was. "I'll text you the details, then," she said. "And … thank you again, for this. To be honest, I'm … honestly not sure I would have made the deadline without your help." She sighed. "I suppose this is the end of the honeymoon period."

You blinked. "Pardon?"

"Oh, sorry, that sounded a bit rude. I only meant that Mr. Han appears to be back to his old ways, work-wise. Ah, well. The vacation was nice, at least," she explained. "In any case, I should probably get going. My break's just about over."

"…Right, yeah," you muttered, more than a little distracted. "Talk to you later, then." The two of you hung up.

You sat there, staring at your phone and thinking back on how Jumin's been acting these last couple days. _The end … of the honeymoon period?_ You felt your stomach twist.

"Who was that?"

You jumped, startled by your husband's voice. "Oh, Jumin, I didn't hear you come home. That was just … an old friend," you said, forcing your doubts to the back of your mind. "I heard Jaehee's presentation went well today."

"Did you," he said.

"Didn't it?"

"It was acceptable," he replied, wandering into the kitchen. "I expect she did it last minute, though, as more effort appears to have gone into the coffee shop report."

…In your defense, you couldn't exactly work on it while he was home. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected," you replied, averting the topic. "People tend to put more effort into the things they enjoy, and Jaehee seemed to really get into this project."

"Evidently," he added, returning to the living room with a glass of wine. "Still, I'm not paying her to do what she wants. I'll have to get her to revise it."

"… _What_?" you said, aghast. "But she worked so hard—"

"—against my express direction," he interjected, setting himself down on the chair adjacent to the sofa.

You sat up, expression narrowed. "What do you mean?"

He sighed into his drink, his brow knitted in frustration. "I told you. This project is not mine," he explained plainly. "My father handed it off to my department explicitly to annoy me, so I have no interest in allowing it to succeed."

You gawked at him, honestly stunned, as anger began to well up in your chest. "So let me get this straight, then. You gave this project to Jaehee under a huge time constraint, despite the fact she  was already working on something else. And _then,_ when she actually pulls through and does a _good_ job, you decide to punish her for it? Because you _asked_ her to underperform?" you asked, your voice dripping with venom. "What happened to not wanting to exacerbate matters between you and your father, Jumin?"

"Assistant Kang is paid to do what I ask," he said, pointblank, setting his glass down on the end table. "She failed in this regard, so the matter must be rectified. It is as simple as that."

You leaned back, staring him down. "Jumin. You can't just ask an employee to bullshit a project like this."

He scoffed. " _Oh?_ Do explain."

"Look at this from her perspective," you said, your irritation obvious. "It may be _your_ department that the project's been given to, but Jaehee's the one who oversaw it. What if your father decides to fire her over this?"

"I'd take care of it," he countered, fidgeting with his cufflink.

"Really? Would you? _Could you?_ " you asked, exceedingly doubtful. "He's technically your superior, so I expect he can do whatever he wants."

"She's a valuable employee. One flopped project is but a blip in her record with C&R. It'd be a foolish decision on my father's part to let her go over something like this," he insisted.

"Oh yeah?" you snapped back. "And did it ever occur to you that he might not care and fire her anyway, just to get back at _you?_ "

He tossed a pointed glared in your direction, then glanced off to the side. "That won't happen. My father is a logical man when it comes to business."

You scoffed. "Yeah, well, so are you, and _yet_ —"

" _Enough_ ," Jumin retorted, getting up from his chair. "This is a pointless conversation."

You popped up right after him, unwilling to let this go. "Alright, fine. If you don't care about her job security, then how about her health? You're going to work that woman to death if you're not careful, you know."

That gave him pause, but not for long. "…I have _never_ given Assistant Kang more work than what is expected of me," he said, seemingly affronted. "She can handle it."

You crossed your arms. "Are you _sure_?"

"She did this time," he commented, albeit quieter than before. 

"Yeah, _this time_ ," you shot back, hands on your hips. "Didn't you see her messages in the chatroom? She was practically on the cusp of a nervous breakdown, Jumin."

He didn't say anything. He just stood there with his back facing you, seemingly frozen, as you tried to wrap your head around this inexplicable change that'd come over him.

You closed your eyes, shaking your head. "Honestly, Jumin, I really can't understand why you're doing this. It's not … it's not _like_ you." You sighed, looking back upwards, and walked toward him from behind. "Look. I understand that the last couple weeks have been stressful for you, but _frankly_?" You extended your hand, reaching for his shoulder. "You've been acting like a petulant child ever since that dinner with your father and—"

" _Don't touch me_ ," he snapped, pulling away from your reach. You stepped back in a hurry, startled at first, but as you looked up at him, it occurred to you that he had started to hyperventilate.

"—stepmother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh


	15. Mother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoo boy, we're in for a doozy this time my dudes. buckle up.  
> the poll is still up btw. i've decided to keep it open till i get to the point where mc's name will hypothetically be relevant: [EDIT: poll's over! check chapt 18 for results. thanks for participating!!]  
> OH btw some folks told me i should probably mention this but if you don't already know, i'm [reluctantrfamember](https://reluctantrfamember.tumblr.com) on tumblr. i post update notifs and occasional chat edits there so if ya wanna follow me that'd be swell~

You should have known.

 _"Oh Jumin, it's been_ such _a long time! Come here, come here; you'll give your mother a kiss, won't you? Ahaha. Still shy, hmm?"_

The way his eyes dulled at the sight of her; how his stature stiffened in her embrace. Jumin never held a high regard for any of his father's companions, but this one… _this one…_

_"I understand you must be confused, especially considering that nasty bit of business you and your father had to deal with last month. Truthfully, though, I couldn't be more grateful for it; otherwise my hubby never would've come running back to my arms."_

You should have known his stepmother was different.

 

"Jumin. _Jumin_ , what's wrong?" You called to him over and over, ashen faced and full of dread, but your words didn't seem to reach him. "Please, just— _say_ _something_." You were kneeling beside him on the floor, unsure of what to do. "Should I call a doctor, or—?"

Jumin's eyes shot open. " _N-No_ ," he stammered out, chest heaving as he hurriedly pulled you towards him, finally uncupping his hands from his ears. "No, just … stay. _Stay_." And you did, clinging to him as hard as he clung to you.

You couldn't say with absolute certainty that this was the longest fifteen minutes of your life, but it was close. You had seen Jumin lose his composure before, but never, _never_ like this. There was always an unshakeable resolve to your husband, even during his darkest times: He never raised his voice to you, never acted out erratically, and he certainly never _collapsed._ All of this was entirely new to you, and it frightened you considerably. Had he been holding himself back all those times, even when Elizabeth vanished? _Or_ … was this thing that had been plaguing him these last few days, whatever it happened to be, just exponentially _worse_?

After his near-incessant jittering had finally subsided, he sighed into the crook of your neck. "You weren't … supposed to see that," he whispered, murmuring, as the tension faded from his embrace.

Your gut sank with the unintended weight of his words. Jumin had always been so open with you, so honest; what in the world could he not want you to _know_?

"…I won't ask, if you don't want me to," you told him quietly, finally mustering up the courage to reply. "But I can't help … if you don't tell me."

A painfully long silence lingered after your response, followed by a bitter sort of laugh. "I suppose I've been rather contradictory, haven't I?" he remarked, a frustrated edge to his tone. "I want you to see my threads, but it seems I am incapable of showing you without first embarrassing myself. _Ha_ , that's a bit pathetic."

You leaned back in a hurry, catching Jumin's cheek in your palm and guiding his face towards yours. "You are not pathetic," you said, staring at him with the utmost seriousness.

He allowed himself to stare back at you, but by his expression you were not convinced that he believed your reassurances. "You were right to be cross with me," he said, drawing his head away from your hand. "All of this was just … _pettiness_. A stubborn, _selfish_ means of retaliation."

You tilted your head to the side. "Against your father…?" you asked, frowning somewhat.

He hesitated. "…In part," Jumin replied, swallowing hard.

You were quiet for a while; pondering what to do, what to say, but nothing came to mind. You had _no_ idea what to tell your husband, or even know whether words of encouragement _would_ help in this unknowable situation, so eventually you just … scooted over beside him and unconsciously reached for his hand. He glanced down at your open palm for a few seconds, then intertwined his fingers with your own. The two of you sat there for some time, shoulder to shoulder, your backs leaning against the wall — waiting, waiting, waiting, until Jumin finally spoke.

"As it turns out," he began, slowly easing the words from his throat, "this project is more my mother's than my father's."

You turned your head in his direction; listening intently, but silently, patiently.

"Prior to their … _reunion_ ," he continued, a certain bitterness in his voice, "she had been attempting to kick start her own coffee brand — albeit with very little success. This, I expect, was the main reason she decided to get back in touch with my father." He narrowed his eyes, grimacing. "It was well timed, on her part. My father was still licking his wounds over Glam Choi, and … I can't help but wonder whether our impromptu marriage exasperated his own loneliness." Jumin grew quiet, mumbling to himself. "She did … last the _longest_ , I suppose."

You squinted slightly, unsure of what to think. You figured Jumin wouldn't like his stepmom any more than the other women in his father's life, but was she really bad enough to warrant this? She couldn't be worse than Glam or Sarah … could she?

"As a child, I grew rather quickly accustomed to the ever-revolving door of my father's companions after he divorced my biological mother. None of them ever lasted more than a year," he went on, continuing with his tale. "This one, though, managed to convince him to marry her, and it seemed … serious, for a time. He allowed her to legally adopt me, and they stayed married until— well, I suppose they still are, aren't they?" He scoffed. "My father had a countless number of affairs over the course of their relationship, however — even prior to their separation. But that didn't really matter to her. So long as she was his wife, she reaped the benefits of our wealth and influence; whether he was a faithful husband was entirely irrelevant … for a time," he muttered.

For a brief moment, it sounded like his breath faltered.

"It was toward the latter half of their relationship that my mother started getting nervous. She'd been wise enough not to pester my father about his womanizing tendencies, but what she failed to realize was that she was being forgotten more and more with every affair," he explained. "Soon, there would be nothing left to distinguish her from the giant hole she left in my father's pocket."

Your mind was swimming with theories. Did she extort them? Manipulate them? What could cause such drastic action on Jumin's part?

"At first … she attempted to rejuvenate her relationship with my father — but before too long it became abundantly clear that he had almost entirely lost interest in anyone over the age of thirty." You felt his hand grip a little tighter. "As such, she … adjusted her strategy."

You felt your stomach suddenly twist as the fragments of Jumin's story started to form a picture, a suspicion — a _fear_.

"She was subtle at first."

Oh god.

"Lingering touches, unprompted embraces, the occasional compliment — that sort of thing."

_Oh god._

"Eventually, though, her advances … grew rather brazen. She'd invade my personal space, tell me to call her by name, offer to comfort me, kiss me, touch—" Jumin exhaled, raking his free hand through his hair. "She just— she wouldn't leave me _alone_."

In that moment it felt like you were suffocating. Memories of previous exchanges, observations you made, all swirled in front of your eyes, and you hated yourself for not realizing sooner. His hatred of being touched, his obsession with control, the way he isolated himself from others, and the difficulties he had setting boundaries early on in your relationship… Perhaps not all of his habits could be explained away by this development, but it shone a new light on them, at the very least.

"Is it strange that I feel this way…? Every time I see her, it's like I'm being surrounded by static."

You should have known.

"And now, I just … I thought she was finally gone, but …"

You should have _fucking_ known.

"Darling…? Your silence is making me nervous," he murmured, turning his face towards yours. His eyes widened, noticing your tearstained cheeks. "Oh. _Oh no_. I didn't mean to upset you—"

You glanced up at him hurriedly, abruptly taken out of your own thoughts. "O-Oh Jumin, no, I'm not upset—"

He frowned, looking away in a dejected manner. "Your actions are contradicting your words."

You squeezed Jumin's hand instinctively, a panic suddenly overtaking you. " _No, no, no—_ I'm not upset with you, Jumin," you insisted as new tears brimmed your eyelids. "I'm … _horrified_."

He seemed taken aback. "Horrified…?"

You gaped at him. " _Of course,_ I—" You cut yourself off as something occurred to you. "I-I mean, Jumin, _you_ … what you just described was … _assault_. Sexual assault."

He blinked at you a couple times, as though what you suggested didn't quite process. Closing his eyes suddenly, he scrunched up his brow, grimacing. "…Hmm."

You were quiet for a moment, struck by the sadness of the fact he probably hadn't even considered that notion before. "May I … ask you something?" you inquired tentatively.

It took a few seconds, but Jumin nodded slowly.

"How old were you?"

Jumin opened his eyes again. "I'm … not certain. I don't tend to remember much of the past, as it is usually irrelevant to the present day, or … because I'd rather not think about it," he said. "It … was before I left to study abroad, though."

"For university?"

"Yes."

"So … you were a minor, then?"

"…I suppose."

You felt like you were going to be sick.

"I'm … I'm _so_ sorry, Jumin," you said, sniffling as you spoke to him. "You've been struggling this whole time and I just jumped to conclusions and _—_ "

"You couldn't have known, my love," he interrupted, gazing over you with agonizingly soft eyes. "So please … don't cry. It hurts my heart to see you this sad, especially on my behalf."

And thus your weeping proceeded with a vengeance.

Jumin frowned. "That is the opposite of what I asked for, silly girl."

A small laugh escaped your lips, intermixing with your hitching breath. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize either," he remarked, sighing. "I should have just … told you. After that dinner."

You considered protesting, but thought better of it. Jumin was a stubborn ass, after all. "Then … can I make a promise instead?"

He looked over you, raising his brow inquisitively.

You readjusted your position, sitting back down on your knees in front of him. "The next time you're struggling, I'll be here for you — now and always."

Jumin leaned his head against the wall, lolling his head to the side with a light smile. "I suppose that's acceptable."

* * *

It was three in the morning.

You had been standing on the balcony for a little over ten minutes — a dangerous thing to do, considering you neither wanted your husband to wake up without you, or find out what you'd been contemplating. Jumin told you not to do anything, after all, but let's face it. If roles were reversed, he'd do the same for you.

Finally plucking up your courage, you started to dial him. However, no sooner had you entered the last digit, you started having second thoughts.

This was stupid. He'd never do it, not unless you _told_ him — _would he?_ But you couldn't do that. You didn't think he'd tell anyone or lord it over him, obviously, but it felt … _wrong_ to share, and you weren't about to go betraying Jumin's trust.

Ugh. You should probably just hang up, shouldn't you? Saeyoung never answered his fucking phone anyw—

_"Gooooooooood mooooooooorniiiiing, Soooouth Koreeaaaa!!!!"_

You jumped in response to the literal _shrieking_ in your ear, nearly dropping your phone in the process. _Motherfucker_. "…Seven?"

"Yes, ma'am! The one and only!" he replied in a rather obnoxiously chipper manner. "You're up awfully late."

You decided to cut to the chase, despite how obviously suspicious it made you sound. "Seven, if I pay you, like, a _shitload_ of money, can you … do something for me? No questions asked?"

The line was silent for a few seconds. "Uh, sorry _._ That's a no can do, pal," he replied. "See, I have a strict _at-least-one-question-asked_ policy. And I am nothing without my ironclad integrity!"

You sighed. "Seven, _please_ , I know this sounds weird, but—"

"So!" he interrupted, a mischievous tone to his voice. "How much is a 'shitload'?"

You paused, confused at first, but then it clicked. "…More than an assload, less than a fuckton," you told him, grinning begrudgingly. _Smartass._

He cackled. "Oho, well then! 707, hacker extraordinaire, is at your service, m'lady! What direful deed do you need done?"

"I need you to research someone," you said, whispering despite the fact you were outside. "And then air all their dirty laundry out to dry. I don't care what it is. Just … _expose them_."

"My, oh my! I have chills," he remarked, quieting his voice somewhat. "Perhaps our dear Juju is rubbing off on you…? He's got a bit of a vengeful streak, too, you know."

"…I wouldn't call this vengeance," you added.

"Oh…? What then?"

You glared out in front of you, jaw clenched tight. "Justice."  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i sort of..................came to this conclusion after reading through jumin's morning VN on day 6. the shit his "mom" said to him was just. so creepy. and vaguely sexual. so yeah. putting 2+2 together.


	16. The Proposition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically just a long ass convo tbh, but it's lighter than the last few chapts  
> poll is still up: [EDIT: poll's over! check chapt 18 for results. thanks for participating!!]  
> and remember if ya wanna hmu i am [reluctantrfamember](https://reluctantrfamember.tumblr.com) on tumblr.

"I have a proposition for you."

The words slipped out before you could stop them. You knew you shouldn't be making this suggestion _now_ — what with Saeran actively running out of time — but you couldn't stand seeing Jumin like this, especially knowing his reasoning. Saeyoung had told you last night that your request was in his queue, but he couldn't work on it until certain agency matters were dealt with, or unless you "spilled." Unwilling to bend to his bribery and knowing how dangerous Saeyoung's line of work could be when he procrastinated, you decided not to press the subject despite the predicament it left you in. After all, until Saeyoung found the information you needed, Jumin would have to face his stepmother alone.

…Granted, you'd be lying if you said that was your sole motive.

"Oh?" Jumin replied, seemingly transfixed by the ceiling. Jumin had been methodically rubbing your back ever since waking up some ten minutes ago. He almost never cuddled in the mornings, considering how quickly he usually had to be out the door. You could tell he was … delaying.

You took a deep breath, then proclaimed your position without a moments hesitation: "I want to work with you at C&R."

Jumin's hand paused on the small of your back, but resumed its pacing presently. "…That won't be necessary."

 _Sigh._ Always a challenge with this one.

You shifted your head, lifting it off of his chest. "And why's that?"

"What is mine is yours. There is no need for you to work when I make more than enough for us both," he said, his steely gaze wandering to meet your own. "If you would prefer to have an account of your own, that can be arranged."

You frowned. "This isn't about money, Jumin. I want to help you."

A faint smile ghosted across his lips, but not for long. "You do help me — just as you are," he insisted, turning away again.

"Not as much as I could, though," you countered. "If we worked together—"

"It simply isn't realistic, dear," he interrupted, clearly intending to cut the conversation short.

 _"Realistic…?"_ you repeated, distinctly skeptical. "Or you'd rather I didn't?"

He sighed. "Perhaps a mix of both."

Brow furrowed, you hoisted yourself out of Jumin's arms and sat cross-legged on the bed. "Well, I'd rather hear out your concerns instead of just accepting your verdict at face value."

He chuckled, rolling his head towards you. "And if my objections offend you?"

You cocked your head to the side, folding your arms in the process. "Do I strike you as a particularly sensitive person, Jumin?"

"Emotionally or physically?" he retorted in a rather nonchalant manner. "In the case of the latter, I could—"

"You can't distract me with sex," you interjected, shooing away the hand that was already gliding up your thigh.

"Hmm. Pity." He pouted, narrowing his eyes somewhat as he glanced off to the side.

You frowned. "Please just tell me. Your honesty is something that I _admire_ , Jumin."

He stared at you, his expression a mixture of tiredness and befuddled amusement. Sighing again, he pulled himself into an upright position — his back leaning against the headboard of the bed. "My primary concern is this," he began, his voice hardening into that of an executive. "As you are no doubt aware, my father has a reputation for bringing his lovers into the company without much rhyme or reason. I do not wish to give off a similar impression among my employees."

You laughed a little. Was that _all?_ "So essentially, you're worried about being accused of nepotism?" you asked. "You didn't seem all the concerned when you offered an internship to Yoosung."

Jumin frowned. "…Despite current appearances, Yoosung is actually a very proficient worker when he applies himself. I know as much from his high school years and the voluntary work he did in collaboration with Rika."

Well, you couldn't argue with that. "Alright, sure, but couldn't your employees still claim—?"

"The allegation itself only becomes an issue if there is validity to it," he interjected. "I wouldn't be hiring Yoosung because I happen to know him personally. It would be based on merit."

You sat up a little straighter, taken aback by the implication of his words. "So … you don't think I _could_ work for C &R?"

He relaxed his expression, shaking his head a little. "Quite the contrary. It is my firm belief that you could do anything you put your mind to," Jumin explained. "…But unfortunately, there may be a rather large discrepancy between what I believe versus what is inherently factual  — at least when it comes to _you_. You are … quite difficult to be objective about, my love," he confessed, surprising you somewhat; Jumin always seemed so _sure_ of his convictions. Perhaps he was merely paranoid, or worried that he'd become his father...? "Therefore, without clear, unbiased evidence in your favor, I'm afraid allowing you to work at C &R wouldn't be within the company's best interest."

You paused for a moment, stewing over his words. There was validity to what he was saying from his perspective, but in truth, he already _had_ clear evidence that you could work for C&R: the cat hotel project. Jaehee had been the presenter, but the substance of her speech was largely your work. Now, Jumin had been in a foul mood at the time of her presenting, which may have impacted his initial opinion, but as far as you were aware the project was greenlit nevertheless. Surely, if he only _knew_ you were responsible, he'd change his tune. The only problem was … you promised Jaehee that you'd never tell.

"…You trust Jaehee's judgement, right?" you asked, thinking aloud.

He raised his brow suddenly. "Well— Yes, I suppose?"

"Then … why not have her assess whether I can do the job instead? She could interview me, give me a set of tasks to complete in a certain amount of time — stuff like that," you suggested. "Besides, doesn't she train all your other assistants anyway?"

Jumin held your gaze for a good long while, eyes slightly narrowed as he considered your words. When his stare finally broke away, he merely told you, "I'm not certain if I _want_ you to be my assistant."

You sighed, slightly exasperated by his stubbornness. "But _why_?"

"The answer is twofold," he said, folding his arms. "Firstly, I have made it a general rule of mine never to intergrade my personal life with my wor— What? _What?_ Why are you laughing?"

You bit your lip, trying to hold back. "Because that's … _such_ bullshit, Jumin. You and I both know that's bullshit."

He gaped at you. "…Pardon?"

"You heard me. I'm calling bullshit on your tsundere ass," you remarked with a playfully accusatory tone. "I mean, let's face it. You might like to pretend your relationship with Jaehee is strictly professional, but the truth is you wouldn't have invited her into the RFA — _your second family_ — if you merely thought of her as a colleague. If that isn't mixing your work life with your personal one, I don't know what is."

His jaw clenched slightly. "… _'Tsundere'_?" he repeated, totally deflecting your accusation; the tips of his ears turning slightly pink.

You laughed again. "You own a _literal_ physical copy of the urban dictionary. You know what that means," you replied. "But anyway, you were saying?"

The pinkness spread to his cheeks. "…The second reason," Jumin continued, clearing his throat, "is that I want us to be equals."

You blinked. "Equals?"

"Yes, in all things," he said. "As such, I don't want to be your _boss_. You're my wife, not my subordinate."

You took a long pause before raking your hand through your hair, somewhat frustrated. "…Sweetie. We're not equals."

Jumin seemed affronted by your statement, his expression twisting into aghast confusion. "What? Of course we—"

"We're _not_ , though," you interjected. "You said so yourself that there's no need for me to work, because you provide _everything_ for us. It's your money, your company, your maids, your chef, your _building_ we live in — you inherently have more power than me, whether you like it or not," you explained, holding your arms out at your sides.

Jumin sat forward. "I believe I also said what is mine is yours—"

"Because you _permit_ it, Jumin. Almost everything we _do_ is because you permit it," you rebutted. "I mean, hell, I can't even _leave_ the building without you right now."

He paused, averting his eyes. "…You and I discussed this before, love. We agreed it would be better — _safer_ — if you stayed out of sight for a while, did we not?" He glanced toward you meaningfully, as though trying to figure out whether your agreement was earnest or merely compliance. In truth, it was a bit of both.

"Yes, we did— a _month_ ago, when the entire building was surrounded by reporters," you corrected, keeping your voice collected and calm. "But that isn't the case anymore. The media is more focused on your lawsuit than they are with me, and I'm—" you stopped, sighing, "I'm _restless_. I don't want to just twiddle my thumbs all day waiting for you to get home, Jumin. If you truly want us to be equals, then you'd _respect_ that—"

"I— I _do_. I have no desire to see you stuck here indefinitely," he insisted. "And if it's merely freedom or an alleviation of boredom you seek, I see no reason why you cannot be left to your own devices, so long as our bodyguards accompany you—"

" _Jumin_ , this isn't about freedom or boredom or— _ugh_ ," you folded your arms, bringing a hand to your temple. He really wasn't getting this, was he? "Do … do you recall the first conversation we had in the messenger? Do you remember what you asked me…?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you, how did you get here…?"

You reluctantly chuckled, shaking your head. " _Together_ , I mean. Just us."

He paused for a moment, contemplating. "Hmm, vaguely. Why?"

You dropped your hand, glancing toward him. "As I recall, one of the first things you asked me was whether I wanted to make memories I'd never forget," you said, smiling faintly. "So I—"

"—You said you  wanted to do something meaningful," he replied, finishing your sentence before you could. "Yes. I remember that."

The two of you exchanged a long, persistent look.

"…The parties _are_ meaningful," Jumin commented.

"Sure, but we can't hold a party every week. We haven't even begun planning for the next one," you countered. "In the meantime, I want to be _useful,_ Jumin. Not just for you, but for me as well. For _us_." For everyone. "Do you understand…?"

Jumin furrowed his brow. "…I didn't realize you felt this way," he said, folding his arms in front of him.

You gave Jumin an soft smile, inching towards him slightly. "Listen, Jumin, I'm not upset with you. At the end of the day, our positions … can't really be helped," you said, attempting to assure him. "Still, though. Even if we're not on a _fully_ equal level now, wouldn't us working together — supporting each other — be a step in the right direction?"

"…I will discuss the subject with Assistant Kang," is all he said, although there was still a sense of uncertainty in his voice. "However, I do have one more … comment to make," Jumin added, raising his hand to brush a stray hair from your face.

You looked at him quizzically. "What is it?"

"I hope … you do not take this the wrong way," he said, turning to ease himself off of the bed, "but if this is what you want, what will we do when we decide to make a family?"  

You froze on the spot, seized up all at once by an impending sense of dread. "Make … a … _what_?"

He glanced at the wall clock, his back turned to you. "It is been on my mind for a while, truthfully," he continued, unaware of your unease. "I don't wish to impose upon you, but … I know what it's like to be raised by nannies. I don't want that for our children, if at all possible."

Your mind was racing at a million miles per minute, the words _our children_ on an incessant, _looping_ repeat. Perhaps it was the beating of your heart, the sudden paling of your skin, or your inexplicable silence, but when your husband looked back at you, he seemed a little concerned. "Dear…? Is something—"

"Wh-Whoa, _whoa_ , hang on a second," you blurted, your words finally catching up with your thoughts. "I mean, we're not— _ha,_ that's a little permanent—"

"…Permanent?" he repeated, his voice distinctly … off.

You glanced upwards, shaking you're head. "I mean, no, that came out wrong—"

"Do you … not _want_ children?" he asked.

You held your hands up. "No, no— that's— it's not _that_ ," you said, scurrying for excuses. "I mean, it's just … isn't this discussion a little premature?  We … we _just_ got married, y'know? Like, _okay_ , we kinda rushed into that as well, but kids are … _hoo_ , boy."

Jumin stared down at you, his expression virtually unreadable, but at the very least not suspicious. "…Of course. We have plenty of time," he replied, moving closer to you. "I apologize if my comments … startled you."

"No, I'm … sorry, I was just caught off guard," you told him, laughing a little despite the pit in your stomach.

He smiled thinly. "It's alright, dearest," he spoke, leaning down to kiss your cheek. "Although, for the record," he whispered, "you'd make an excellent mother, I think."

Mustering the sincerest smile you could, you nodded a silent thanks as Jumin turned away. You stared at your husband as he walked off, heading toward the closet, about to get ready for the day. Sighing, you instinctively rubbed the underside of your chin.

" _Oh_ , Jumin," you said, whispering the confession you hope he'd never hear, "I don't know if I could ever afford to be that selfish."

* * *

"Oh! That reminds me, is Elizabeth feeling better?" Jaehee asked.

You blinked several times, pulled back to the present. Not that it mattered, though; Jumin and Jaehee were still chatting up a storm.

"She seems to have recovered from the surgery well, yes," Jumin replied. "Liver shunts are common in her type of breed, but they're only treatable if caught early. Really, it was a very lucky thing my wife took her to the vet when she did."

You shrugged, a weary smile on your face. "Well, I can't honestly take full responsibility. It was Yoosung that noticed something was off, not me," you replied. "Oh, but speaking of — isn't today a Monday? Shouldn't—"

Your sentence was cut off suddenly as the café door burst open.

" _I'M NOT LATE!"_ a disheveled Yoosung asserted as he stumbled into view, his arms weighted down with books. "Oh, hi guys."


	17. The Hugging Incident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIIIIIIIIIIISE  
> yet again  
> bc im terrible at consistent updates L M A O  
> anyhoo u kno the drill. polls still open. will it ever close? who knows. who knows.  
> poll: [EDIT: poll's over! check chapt 18 for results. thanks for participating!!]  
> also this is my blog in case ya wanna harass me for faster updates: [reluctantrfamember](https://reluctantrfamember.tumblr.com)

Jaehee was on her feet in an instant, a sudden shift in her expression. "Cutting it rather _close_ , aren't we?" she chided softly, her eyes narrowing in a stern sort of way.

Well. You supposed that answered your question.

Yoosung redirected his attention toward Jaehee, albeit rather anxiously. "I-I have a reason!" he insisted, plopping his pile of textbooks on the café counter, and his jam-packed knapsack on the floor. "See, my professor told us that he'd give us some exam prep at the end of class, but he just kept going on and on and _on_ —"

"Yes, alright," she interjected, sighing. "Just put your things in the back and—"

"Oh." Yoosung glanced toward you and Jumin, seemingly dejected. "But can't I—"

"I'm not paying you to _socialize_ , Yoosung," Jaehee added, raising one of her eyebrows disapprovingly.

Yoosung bounced on the heels of his feet, fidgeting slightly where he stood. "I-I know! But it's not like… we're _that_ busy…" 

Her gaze narrowed. "And I suppose that means there's no floors to sweep, no counters to wipe, no dishes to do?" Jaehee retorted.

He whined. "Hnng, _no_ , but—"

"Then hop to it. The last thing either of us want is to have to deal with unwanted messes during the evening rush hour — especially when it could have been done now, when it was slow," she continued, evidently oblivious to the irony.

Jumin nodded his head. "Mmm, I concur. Efficiency and proper time management is key to a profitable business," he replied. "I'm glad to see some of my principles have worn off on you, Jaehee."

Jaehee paled on the spot, her eye momentarily twitching as she stole a quick glance back in the direction of her old boss. She cleared her throat, expression tightening. "…Five minutes."

Yoosung beamed. "Ahh, thank you!!"

Jaehee grumbled something incoherent beneath her breath before excusing herself to move Yoosung's things out of sight. Her actions prompted a snicker from you, and a befuddled look from Jumin. "I … don't understand," he murmured. You bit your lip.

"So! Yoosung," you began, changing the subject, "having fun?" you asked with an impish smile.

Yoosung whirled around, meeting your eyes. "Oh, uhm. _Here_ , you mean?" You nodded once. "Hahaha, uh… _w-well_." He raked his hand through the back of his hair.

"Less than expected, I take it?" you said, suppressing a grin. He grimaced slightly in response.

Jumin leaned forward, undoubtedly sensing a recruitment opportunity. "Well, if the café business is not to your liking, perhaps you ought to reconsider the internship—?"

"I-It's not that I don't _like_ it," Yoosung insisted, waving his hands in protest. "It's just that— _well_ , Miss Kang can be a little, _um_ —"

"Intense?" you suggested.

"Quarrelsome?" Jumin proposed.

" _Scary_ ," Yoosung admitted with a bit of a frown.

You laughed. "Okay, fair enough. I think all of us here have been subjected to Jaehee's wrath at some point or another."

Yoosung let out a tiny gasp, eyes wide. "You— You _too_?! I thought it was just me!" he exclaimed. "I mean, she's a bit easier on me now, but at _first_ —"

"Oh buddy, believe me, I _know_. C &R training was like literal boot camp under Jaehee. The woman's a _drill sergeant_." You sighed deeply, lost in recollection. "I swear I didn't sleep at _all_ that week."

An amused smile crept across Jumin's face. "You most assuredly _did_ sleep," he said. "More often than not, I'd come home to find you passed out in my office over a pile of paperwork. It seemed cruel to wake you, so I'd end up carrying you to bed."

"Ah. That explains a lot," you mused. "I thought I'd inexplicably figured out how to teleport. Or sleep walk."

Yoosung sulked, digging his hands into his pockets. "I wish someone would carry _me_ to bed," he said. "Between school and this place, I don't even have the energy to play LOLOL anymore."

You stared at him, somewhat surprised to hear this. "At _all_?"

"At all!!" Yoosung proclaimed, but then he paused. "…Okay, well, sometimes on the weekends I'll put in a few rounds, but only if I don't have any studying to do. Honest!" he explained.

Your husband tilted his head to the side. "You don't partake even after studying, then? Ever?"

"Well, I used to," he said. "But I'd stay up too late when I did, _then_ Miss Kang would get mad at me the next day for slacking off—"

Jumin let out a faint chuckle. "Perhaps this is a good arrangement for you, then."

Yoosung looked like he was about to protest for a moment, but second guessed himself in the end. "… _Yeah_ , you're probably right. Ugh." His eyes fell to the floor, a slight crease in his brow.

You looked over Yoosung, noticing the subtle change in his expression. "Well, we all need a little pushing sometimes, I think," you replied, reassuring him.

Yoosung's head perked up a little, staring at you knowingly. He didn't say anything, but still smiled, nodding — remembering. No sooner had he done this, however, Jaehee's voice bellowed from the kitchen, causing him to jump. "Time's up, Yoosung Kim!"

"Duty calls, it seems," Jumin remarked, eyebrows raised.

Yoosung groaned. "Just as long as it isn't dish duty. _Anything_ but dish du—"

"YOOSUNG!"

He squealed a little. "Arghh, I-I'm coming!" he called back, turning away from the two of you without so much as a goodbye. You snickered, giving Yoosung a two-fingered, salute-like wave as he dashed off, leaving you and Jumin alone again.

"…This turned out rather well," Jumin mumbled, almost to himself. You decided to reply all the same.

"Yeah, I suppose it did."

He eyed you, smirking. "Pleased with yourself, then?"

You snorted. "Oh please, as if you had _nothing_ to do with it."

"Well, I cannot rightly take credit for Yoosung's involvement here," Jumin retorted.

"Nor I the café," you reminded him.

Your husband crossed his arms, scoffing. "I would tend to contest that assertion, darling."

You grinned, laying your arms down on the tabletop. "Again, I wasn't the one Jaehee _hugged_ —"

Jumin sighed. "Oh, how you do _love_ to harp on that."

You giggled. "Yes, because it was adorable."

He narrowed his eyes at you. "Is torturous and uncomfortable now synonymous with adorable? If so, I agree."

You shook your head, laughing at him. "Mhmm, if you say so," you replied. He was _impossible_.

* * *

**24/10/16**

" _ANONYMOUS LEAK: ESTRANGED WIFE OF C &R INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMAN SUSPECTED OF INSURANCE FRAUD."_

The headlines left the office abuzz all morning, with its whispered gossip and never-ending phone calls. You were thrilled, obviously, to finally have Jumin's stepmom out of the way, but at the same time, you really hadn't anticipated that Saeyoung would find something of _this_ magnitude. Not that you really minded, though. Having that woman indefinitely purged from Jumin's life was far, far more important than a little negative press.

Still, you couldn't help but worry. Since the news broke, it'd been next to impossible to get away from your desk — let alone a moment to check on your husband. What if all of this was upsetting him, given who and _what_ she was? You chewed your lower lip, anxiously mulling over the things he could possibly be feeling right now.

"How's Mr. Han taking the news?"

"I wish I knew," you mumbled, half forgetting you were on the phone with a reporter from E! Celebrity News.

"Eh? What's that again?"

You blinked twice. "Mr. Han declines to comment at this time," you replied for what felt like the seven billionth time today, hanging up soon after.

But it started ringing again as soon as it hit the receiver.

You glared at the incessant little device, half tempted to chuck it into the adjacent cubical. This was getting ridiculous. You hadn't even been able to _touch_ your paperwork today, and all over these stupidly!! Monotonous!!!! _Phone calls!!!!!!!!_

…

You leaned out of your cubical, checking the hallway. Assistants were scurrying everywhere, but there was no sign of Jaehee. Subsequently you leaned back in, answered the call, and slowly raised the phone to your ear. "Good morning. You've reached the office of C&R Director, Jumin Han. Please hold."

And then you booked it. You booked it like a fucking champ, swerving around your zombified colleagues, hair cascading listlessly in your wake. Responsibilities who? Don't know her.

…Although, technically, you kind of _did_. Responsibility's name was Jaehee Kang, and if she noticed that you'd left your station, she'd probably be pretty pissed. Especially today. Especially _now_.

But, like.

Even if she caught you, surely she'll understand? Jumin was your partner first and foremost, and his wellbeing was far more important than a few phone calls— _right?_ Right. Definitely.

…

Hopefully she was running an errand or something.

****

A few minutes later, you found yourself doubled-over and panting in front of Jumin's office; a number of employees staring at you quizzically as they passed by. Regaining composure and reminding yourself to _maybe_ consider working out more often, you tentatively knocked on the door.

No response.

Eyes narrowing slightly, you jiggled the door handle.

Hmm. Not locked either.

You opened the door a bit, peering inside just to make sure he really wasn't in.

Huh. Weird. He wasn't at his desk. Usually Jumin kept his door locked whenever he left his personal office, if only to keep out prying eyes, so this was rather unusual.

Perhaps he was in his filing room, and just didn't hear you?

You opened the door, deciding to check, but closed it behind you just in case anyone else tried to pop in. Jumin's office was just as sleek and minimalistic as the penthouse, with its neutral colours, large wall-to-floor windows, and sparse furnishing. He kept nothing that wasn't necessary to the company or his own productivity, spare a framed photograph of you and Elizabeth on his desk.

Your lips quirked into a semi-smile as you walked past.

On the left hand side of the room, just opposite to his desk, there was a small, closet-sized space wherein Jumin kept an assortment of files, typically those of great financial significance to the company. The door was closed, which left you to suspect that he probably wasn't inside, but chose to look regardless.

Nope. No Jumin.

Your face contorted into mild befuddlement. Your husband was not the type to forget to lock his office door if he was going out, _especially_ given the contents of this room. Really, the only plausible explanation was that he was only going to be away from his desk for a few moments and would be right ba—

"Thank you for accompanying me on such short notice, Assistant Kang," Jumin remarked, his voice muffled as he approached the doorway, but growing louder with every step. "I understand it is your lunch break, but I have an urgent matter that I'd like to discuss with you."

Oh, fucking shit. _Of course_ you'd be that damn unlucky.

Before you could even really properly assess whether or not it'd be better to get caught now or later, you found yourself leaping into the filing room. You shut the door as quickly as possible, hoping neither of them noticed its movement, and left a tiny crack open for the sake of noise control. And air. And light.

And nosiness.

A tepid sigh fell from Jaehee, undoubtedly reluctant to leave her daily sandwich half-finished. "Yes, I understand. This is about the situation with your father and his wife, I imagine?"

"In part," he replied, sitting down at his desk. He made a gesture at Jaehee, indicating for her to do the same. "But before that, I have a question for you."

Jaehee took her own seat at the opposite end of the desk, crossing her legs. "Regarding what?" she asked.

"Yourself."

Jaehee's head tilted upwards, fixing her stare on her boss. She opened her mouth, as if about to say something, but Jumin beat her to the punch.

"I want you to be frank with me, Assistant Kang," Jumin began without a moment's hesitation. "Are you happy?"

The perplexing suddenness — and frankly, improbability — of such a question coming from Jumin took you and Jaehee aback.

"…Happy?" It was less a reaffirmation to his question than it was a semi-uncomfortable repetition.

"Yes, working for C&R," he explained. "I apologize, I should have specified."

Jaehee's lips pressed together, clearly conflicted. "My … position at C&R allows me to live in relative comfort and financial security, Mr. Han. For that I am grateful." Her response was slow, calculative. If you noticed that, you were sure he did, too.

"An answer to a question I did not ask," he replied, confirming your prediction.

The anxiety was clear on Jaehee's face. "With all due respect, I'm not … comfortable answering that question."

Jumin glared at her, his expression a mix of exasperation and confusion. "Why?"

Jaehee's shoulders slumped forward, turning inward. " _Mr. Han_ , it's not _…_  it's not an  _appropriate_  topic of conversation between an employee and employer."

Jumin scoffed. "Perhaps if our relationship was strictly professional, but it isn't, is it?"

A dead silence fell over the room, and you nearly broke it by gasping. While Jumin didn't exactly outright _admit_ that the two of them were more friendly than either wanted to admit, this was the closest possible equivalent— coming from Jumin, at least.

His statement seemed to take Jaehee by as much surprise as it did you. "It's …  _wh-what?"_ she stuttered out.

Jumin, seemingly thinking nothing of it, explained his side with little more than a shrug: "Obviously. You always do far more for me than what's ever expected or required of a typical employee, chief assistant or not, and I've always assumed that my favouritism towards you was fairly self-evident."

Jaehee raised her brow skeptically. "…Favouritism."  

He nodded. "Certainly. You were always my first pick for managing major projects whenever I could not oversee them myself, I've allowed you to accompany me on a fair number of business dealings both here and overseas, and I certainly wouldn't let just anyone watch Elizabeth the 3rd."

"That is … an interesting way of showing favouritism," she commented, hesitant.

Jumin took hold of his cuff link, fiddling with it. "…I am aware that I have a tendency of overworking you," he continued, a slight shift in his tone, "but my intention was merely to prepare you."

"For … what, exactly?" she asked.

"My job."

It took her a few seconds to process. " _I'm sorry?"_

Jumin let out a breath. "My position as Director of C&R is not a permanent one," he explained. "At some point my father will retire, and when he does, I will take his place as Chairman. Given this, someone else will need to fill my current position." He paused, folding his hands on top of the desk. "I … _assumed_ that someone would be you," he revealed.

Jaehee sat back in her seat with a dumbfounded stare. "I— I don't know what to—"

Jumin was silent for a moment, staring at her intently. "It isn't important. We'll move on," he said, finally breaking the tension, and moved to retrieve something from his desk. "This was your report, yes?" he asked, handing Jaehee a folder.

She took it from him, examining its contents briefly. Her eyes appeared to narrow. "Mr. Han, why do you still—?"

"Irrelevant. Answer the question."

"Ah— Yes. It is."

Jumin nodded contemplatively, drumming his fingers on his desk. "It's good," he eventually said. "Especially given the time constraint. Very detailed marketing strategy. Creative."

" _Oh_ , uhm … Th-thank you…?"

He waved off her thanks. "It seems from the messenger that you enjoyed working on it as well."

A little colour rose in Jaehee's cheeks, prompting her to avert her gaze. Jumin's comment was nonchalant, but revealing. "…Ah. You read those," she muttered.

"Scanned, more like," he corrected.

Based on her expression, as well as her silence, she seemed to be wondering the same thing as you: How _much,_ though?

"In any case," he continued, turning the topic, "I must admit this project has been somewhat of a thorn in my side. I've been sitting on it from the moment you returned your report."

Her eyes wandered back over Jumin, a curious quality settling there in place of embarrassment. "Mr. Han … did you … _know_?"

Jumin huffed. "I am unsurprised by recent developments, but had no knowledge of my stepmother's legal discrepancies. I merely … didn't want the project to go forwards."

You were beginning to feel anxious, worried that Jaehee might continue to pry. Fortunately, she didn't. You couldn't tell whether it was because she sensed it was a subject not to be pressed, or because she didn't feel it was her place. Regardless, you were glad.

"I'll admit my actions were … unprofessional. The entire team has been on hold for the last two to three weeks, awaiting this write up of yours," he continued, sighing. "However, I don't regret my hesitation now. Undoubtedly if this report had fallen into my stepmother's hands, the entire project would have gone down with her — regardless of the scandal." He paused briefly. "That would have been a shame. Your proposal has financial promise in the right hands."

Your eyes widened, but evidently Jaehee hadn't clued in yet. "I … appreciate that, Mr. Han, but why are you telling me this?"

Jumin furrowed his brow, grimacing somewhat. "Is it not obvious?" he retorted. "The coffee project just lost its primary manager. Do you want the position or not?"

Jaehee blinked. "I— _What?_ "

"You want more details, I expect," Jumin continued, getting up from his seat. "You would switch departments, naturally, and thus no longer be my assistant. That much is evident. However, I suspect your new position — at least in the early stages — may be a little different to what you're used to," he explained. "Contrary to previous expectations by the team and its last manager, the chain would not be distributed immediately. Your ideas are sound, certainly, but it's not within C&R's financial interest to open up multiple locations without any pre-established brand name recognition. As such, we would only open one café for the time being — to act as a sort of test run for a short period." Jumin began pacing the room as he spoke, voicing the details of his proposal in such a way that you couldn't help but wonder how long he'd actually been thinking about this over the past few weeks. "If I were to make a projection, I'd say the testing period would last for approximately five years. In this time, it would be your responsibility to ensure the operation is running smoothly, producing profit, and establishing a reputation — which may entail getting your hands a little dirty, to be quite honest. Now, someone could hypothetically be hired to run the place for you, but I'd advise against that in this particular stage. The possibility of expansion relies entirely upon your results, so it may be better to keep an eye on things from the ground," he advised. "Assuming the test run is successful, from there you would have several options. The first and most obvious is expansion under C&R, wherein you would likely return to an office setting and run the chain like a director yourself. Alternatively, you may decide to separate from C&R entirely, which would lose our financial sponsorship, but allow you more creative freedom with the brand itself — since you would no longer have to abide by C&R regulations. This is a fairly risky move, however, so you may want to hold off. Still, you'll have plenty of time to think about such matters later, so for now—"

"You'd … do that? For me?" Jaehee interjected timidly, standing up herself.

Jumin's face was completely stiff; no hint of emotion. "It makes the most amount of sense. The project is in desperate need for a competent leader, and given your apparent interest—"

"But what about you?" she continued, expression a mix of awe and disbelief. "You'll need someone to replace me, and—"

"You're interested, then?" Jumin added flatly, disregarding her protests — clearly deflecting.

Jaehee paused, her eyes practically sparkling. "I… I'd have to think about it," she said, quietly looking away.

"Of course," he replied. "Is three days sufficient?"

Jaehee took a second, then nodded.

"Good. You're free to leave, then."

Still nodding silently, Jaehee made her way to the door. However, before she even touched the handle, she paused, recoiled her hand, and turned around. "Mr. Han?" she addressed, standing tall.

Jumin had turned around himself, making his way back to his desk, but stopped to look over his shoulder. "Hmm?" he responded, giving Jaehee a quizzical look as she marched up to him again. "What's—?"

He never did finish his sentence, though, because the second she returned to him, she pounced. Stunned yourself, you watched in awe as Jaehee not only beamed at Jumin, but also flung her arms around him in a tight embrace. Jumin, meanwhile, processed the situation rather slowly: First he froze, arms hanging awkwardly in the air. In a few seconds, his jaw slacked as he glared downward — not angrily, but _exceedingly_ confused. By the time Jaehee pulled back again, he had re-fixed his mouth closed, eyes sharp with discomfort. However, his _face_ … was beet red.

Jaehee laughed, probably noticing how flustered her soon-to-be-old boss was. "I think … I see you now," she said, smiling at him again, and then finally left his office.

Oh, man. You were  _never_ letting this one go.

…

Shit. She's gonna find out you left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> summary of this chapt:  
> 


	18. OwO What's This?! [Announcement]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw u could post a regular update but ur a little Extra™ ~~and have no fucjkivgn shame~~ so u decide to make it fun.

[TEMPORAL LOVE: AN AFTER END SPECIAL](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11983101/chapters/27105606)


	19. November 3rd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> right so it's been a ***ridiculously*** long time since i updated this and technically,,, this chapter isnt. Finished. but i feel super bad abt how long im taking so fuck it im splitting the chapter in half ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ i do hope the rest will be out relatively soon but im currently sick so jfksdksjdf hope this tides yall over;;

**03/11/16**

Ever since getting yourself haphazardly tossed into Jaehee's old position, every day seemed to pass by in chaotic blurs. Now to be fair, the work was more _interesting_ than the mind-numbing odd jobs you were doing as a part-time, low-level assistant, but… _ugh_ … at what cost? Jaehee really hadn't been exaggerating about C&R's workload all those times in the messenger, and it certainly hadn't helped that, among _other_ things, you'd been feeling rather out of sorts lately. Could sporadic nausea be a symptom of sleep deprivation? Was it the _guilt_ …? You had no idea. All you knew was that it'd started up back when you first joined the company, and it — along with your mental state — had been getting progressively worse ever since.

You sighed deeply, peeling your eyes open to watch the elevator numbers roll by. Honestly, what the hell were you even… _doing here_? You already had enough bullshit to deal with— like, you know… the Mint Eye thing? _Saeran_? Remember all that, dipshit? He trusted you to get him out of that fucking cult as soon as you could, but oh no! As soon as you lose the bodyguards, you go and get yourself a full-time, nine-to-five gig. Fantastic! Genius! You're a fucking idiot.

…Well, granted, becoming chief assistant wasn't exactly your idea or anything. It just… happened. Because Jumin doesn't like looking through résumés, Jaehee thought you were sufficiently equipped for the job, and they both, unfortunately, believe in you.

You groaned suddenly, your stomach lurching with the motion of the elevator — half tempting you to pull emergency stop button and take a damn nap on the floor. You were so, _so_ tired; almost too tired to notice the incessant buzzing in your pocket.

 _…Almost_.

After maybe the sixth notification, you rolled your eyes, shifted your gargantuan stack of paperwork into one hand, and checked your phone. Naturally, it was Saeyoung, because of course it was.

* * *

* * *

 

You huffed, re-stuffing your phone into your pocket. If Saeyoung was going to waste your time, you would've at least thought he'd have the common courtesy to do so without ditching you in the middle of your conversation. Not that you _should_ be allowing him to distract you like this, what with those spreadsheets you still had to fill out, the meetings you had to schedule, the payroll error you had to look into, the research the marketing team wanted you to do, the reports you had to overlook for grammatical err— wait, actually, why the hell were _you_ doing that? Didn't these assholes have spellchecker? Google? A fucking degree? Surely, proofreading reports was more of an _intern_ job, or a do-it-your-damn-self job — not a chief assistant job, in any case.

Grimacing faintly, you stepped out of the elevator and made your way back to your desk, dreading the thought of doing literally any of this. However, unfortunately for you, you didn't have much of a choice. Of course, you were _glad_ that Jaehee was being given the opportunity to live her dream in this timeline, but… you had to admit you didn't expect this. And, if you were being totally honest, you didn't really know if you could fill Jaehee's shoes. At least, not to the same degree, or on top of everything… else.

Plopping the stack of files onto your desk and sliding back into your seat, you leaned forward and exhaled loudly. So much work, but so few hours in the day. How on earth did Jaehee ever pull all of this off, all the while remaining more or less sane? It didn't seem possible, especially with the RFA blowing up your phone all the damn time.

You sighed, pulling it out again. Surely, _surely_ there must be a way to turn off chatroom notifications? It gets a bit ridiculous after a while. You had half a mind to just shut your phone off completely, but you couldn't. Jumin might need—

You paused mid-thought, automatically reading some of the notification blurbs on your phone's screen. _Why… had they started talking about…?_ It'd been ages since she was last mentioned.

…Tentatively, you opened up the chatroom.

* * *

* * *

 True to his word, your phone began to ring as soon as you logged out of the chatroom. You answered immediately, your worry bringing haste to your reflexes.

"Hey, uh, it's me," Zen began, attempting to speak over the noise and clatter of the theatre. "So, I don't have much time here, but it's— I'm— I haven't seen Yoosung like this in a long time, so I thought I should just… give you a heads up," he went on, sighing, a serious note of concern to his voice. "Um, so. You probably don't know this, but for a good six months after… what happened, Yoosung sort of fell off the rails. I mean, we were all obviously shocked by Rika's passing, but for him it was like… You know those stages of grief people talk about? Well, it was sort of like he was stuck in the denial stage for way longer than everyone else was. He kept making up all these conspiracy theories about Rika's death, like she was really still alive, or that V knew more than he was letting on. It got pretty _out there,_ to be honest. I mean, one time he thought V might have even… hurt her," he explained, mumbling a bit on that last part. "…Anyway. When he started gaming on the regular, it seemed like Yoosung was going back to normal…ish. He wasn't as driven in school like before, but we figured — I figured — that that was kind of inevitable. Rika was a pretty big motivator for him." Zen got quiet for a moment, as though he was contemplating something. "I guess I just assumed he'd— _well_ , not gotten past it, but— I don't know. I don't know…"

"…Zen, it's fine. It isn't your fault," you replied softly, interjecting before he started to ramble off more than he already was.

" _Haa_ … thanks, but I don't know about that," Zen admitted flatly, swallowing hard. "It's just— Yoosung's always been, like, the _kid_ of the RFA. He's the youngest, he doesn't have a lot of life experience — or responsibilities. So it's just… it's hard to take him seriously sometimes, you know? He's out here making mountains out of molehills, and I—" Zen let out another lengthy sigh. "Look, I don't understand why he said a lot of the things he said back there, but… maybe… you will? I mean, you've got trust fund all figured out, right? A few months ago I would've said that's impos—"

" _Zen_ ," you cut in, hardening your tone somewhat defensively, "we talked about this."

"Hey, I know! I know," he hastily interjected. "I'm saying you're a good listener — more empathetic! It's a compliment."

You chuckled. "Uh-huh, nice save."

Zen laughed, allowing for some tension to dissipate from his voice. "Heh, thanks. And I'm sure it'll be fine, just… don't be put off if he says something he doesn't really mean," he went on. "But hey, I've got about three minutes till the curtain opens again, so I gotta get going now. You be sure to talk some sense into that boy for me, hmm? Just whack him upside the hea— Actually, you know what, maybe don't listen to me. You do your thing."

You smiled faintly. "Will do. Break a leg, Zen," you replied, then ended the call. However, no more than a few seconds later, your phone buzzed again— this time with another text from Saeyoung.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah irl it's yoosungs birthday isnt it  
> ..................welp  
> thats unfortunate


	20. Pushing Daffodils

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> howdy my dudes this chapter is kinda Short bc i decided to split it in half again to give y'all some content bc i'm Slow  
> anyway yoosung has a bad time

If you were being totally honest, you really didn't want to be here right now. In fact, of the things on your ever-growing list of shit-you'd-rather-not-be-dealing-with, visiting Rika's bogus gravesite easily ranked in the top ten. You know, right next to shooting yourself in the fucking face again — which could very well still happen, depending on how the next couple of weeks treat you.

Ugh. You hated this. You hated every single second of this. From the moment you stepped foot in that damn churchyard, it was as if Rika's nonexistent ghost had latched itself onto you, trailing along closely behind. The weight of your secret never felt more oppressive, but you couldn't afford to let anything slip at this stage. You were too close. You had to _focus_.

As you continued to walk, you eventually spotted Yoosung some ways down the path. You put your pursuit on pause. To be frank, you really didn't have a game plan regarding how you were going to handle this situation. You had to be tactful, of course, but… _okay_ , honestly? How in the shitting hell were you supposed to console Yoosung over the "death" of his absolute sociopath of a cousin? Like, look, it was one thing when your impression of the woman was based exclusively on a handful of pleasant anecdotes, but _now?_ Knowing all you know? Well, let's just say talking up a literal cult leader is somewhat difficult for anyone with a basic sense of morality. Nevertheless, you'd have to… _try_.

You took another minute to collect yourself, burying your venomous thoughts, then commenced your approach. Yoosung was sitting on a stone bench, motionless, but seemingly fixated on the grave in front of him. Looking at it yourself, it appeared to be the same one from the photo Saeyoung had sent you: A simple headstone shaped like a cross, engraved with the words, "R.I.P. Rika. May you find peace in the arms of an angel. The world remembers all the good you did." The choice of words nearly elicited a scoff, but you caught yourself before the sound escaped your lips.

Sighing quietly, you turned your gaze back towards Yoosung. Despite his lack of acknowledgement, you suspected he probably already knew you were standing there, given your proximity. Shifting slightly in your stance, you decided to speak first; the lingering silence was beginning to feel awkward. "…Hey, um—"

"Didn't I say to leave me alone?" Yoosung snapped, not even bothering to look up at you. Guess he did see you after all.

You clenched your jaw instinctively, but forced yourself to relax after a moment. Just take some deep breaths and break out your sympathetic semi-smile; you've _done_ this before. "Everyone's just really worried. You disappeared on us so quickly—"

"Yeah, well, I'm _fine_ ," he interjected again, sparing a single, piercing glance toward you, and though it was not explicitly stated, you had the distinct impression that he was telling you to get lost. 

You folded your hands in front of you, letting out another small sigh while looking down at the ground. "Yoosung… I understand how difficult of a day this must for you, but—"

Yoosung huffed, loudly. " _Understand_?" he repeated, completely incredulous, then stood up from the bench. "No. _You_ don't understand how I feel." He turned, holding up a single accusatory finger in your direction. " _None_ of you could possibly understand how I feel, so just— _just_ —! Spare me your pity. I know what you're gonna say, and I don't _care._ I literally do not care _._ "

You stood up a little straighter, feeling somewhat taken aback by Yoosung's overt hostility. "…Excuse me?"

He glared at you for a solid ten seconds. "Fine. _Fine_. Fine!" he said, scrunching up his face. "You're here to say that my friends are _sooooooo_ sorry for upsetting me. You're gonna tell me that forgetting Rika's birthday doesn't mean they don't miss her, just like they did in the _chat_. You don't need to repeat the same things they did, so just pretend that I gave you a tearful hug or something and then _go away!_ I don't want you here!!"

You stood there for a few seconds, dead silent. It occurred to you, just then, that this was actually the _first_ time you'd ever been alone with Yoosung since the beginning of your misadventures. It was odd, in a way. This boy had been your first kiss as far as you could remember, but now you felt strangely disconnected to him. You may be the same age as you were back then, but thanks to some time travel antics, you felt like an entirely different person. Older. Less naive.

And deeply unimpressed by this display of juvenility.

You crossed your arms over your chest, nodding slowly as you did so. "Right, okay," you said, biting your lip as you thought, "If you don't want my so-called _pity_ , then fine. I'll offer you some advice instead: Grow up. Grow the _hell_ up, Yoosung," you retorted, noting a flinch in his expression, but not particularly caring. "I mean, hate to break it to you, but we _all_ have responsibilities outside of the RFA, so you know what? Shit happens. People get busy and forget important dates all the time. Sorry, that's life."

Yoosung stared at you for a moment, seemingly dumbstruck by this blunt response. After a moment he hurriedly turned his face away from you, suddenly looking skittish, but his eyes were still narrowed with a certain amount of scorn. "…You _don't_ get it."

You raised a hand to the bridge of your nose, pinching it slightly as you furrowed your brow. "Yoosung. What the hell is there to _get_? You're still processing your cousin's death. I understand! We all get that! Everyone manages grief differently, and it's perfectly fine to still be upset! But you know what's _not_ fine?" you said, looking at him with a hardened stare. "Using your grief as an excuse to run off without a word and frighten the _hell_ out of everyone in the process! _That_ was selfish, immature, and extremely irresponsible, and you should know better."

He looked back upwards—an aura of disbelief about his expression. "… _Selfish?_ ” he repeated, then scoffed yet again. "Oh well, excuse me, I didn't know I was talking to the _feelings police_."

"…You _cannot_ be serious," you said, giving him a long, withering look. What the hell was this? Had the whims of fate decided to appoint you as Yoosung's disciplining mother figure now? Was that it? "Yoosung, you can _feel_ however way you want, but at the age of twenty, your feelings can't dictate your every action. Like, look — Zen was in the middle of a _performance_. Jaehee's setting up a new business, Seven's _literally_ out of town, and Jumin and I are up to our _asses_ in work across regular C &R business and its unending legal fiascos! We all have jobs to do outside of the RFA, but you know damn well that every single one of us would drop everything to make sure you're okay, including _me_ —"

"I told you not to _come!!"_ he said, folding his arms and slinking inward. "If I'm s-such an inconvenience then just— _go_ —!"

You gritted your teeth. "How _can_ I," you began, your voice progressively rising with each syllable, "when you _seemingly_ have the _maturity level_ and _impulse control_ of a goddamn _CHILD_ _?!"_

" _I – CAN'T – HELP – IT!!!"_ Yoosung shouted back with a snap; a wall of angry tears forming at his eyelids. "Do you think I _want_ to be like this…?! My whole life froze the day Rika died and I hate it, I _hate_ it, I HATE IT!!!"

You snapped backwards, struck silent, but with a dawning sense that maybe you, _uh_ … went off a little too much there. "I—"

"NO! Shut up! Shut up, _shut up!"_ Yoosung interjected abruptly, not letting you get your de-escalation apology in. "None of you _g-get_ _it!_ S-She _told_ me how to do everything, I— I'm not like you! I'm not like _them!!_ You're all so _talented_ and— and— _smart_ and kn-know what you're _doing_ but I— I'm just—" Yoosung stopped talking. His entire body seemed to slump forward as he brought his hands to his head, openly sobbing. "W-Without Rika, I'm just… some _st-stupid_ kid—"

Your shoulders fell. "Wait, Yoosung—"

"—a _l-lazy_ moron—"

Your throat tightened. "Hey, that's not—!"

"—a _loser_ and _failure_ —"

Your arms dropped down to your side, hands opening and closing as a fit of anxiety suddenly overcame you. "D-Don't say— You're not—!"

* * *

  ****

* * *

Your voice broke with an impromptu crack. "Th-That's not _true_ , Ray, she's just—!"

You clamped your hand over your mouth, but the words came tumbling out of you before you managed stop them; memories of the past overlapping with the present day. Your face instantly drained of all colour when you realized what you'd done — what you'd _said_ — and continued to stare at Yoosung with an expression that was almost certainly abject horror.

"R-Ray…?" Yoosung repeated between labored sniffles, quirking his once drooped head up and slightly to the side. "Who's… Ray?"

Your heartbeat pounded in your ears in rapid-fire succession. "I— No, I'm— Sorry. _Sorry_. I have to go. I have to go _n-now_ ," you said, rambling like a madman. You turned around swiftly, but perhaps a little _too_ swiftly — because all of a sudden, everything got very… _very_ … hot.

You stopped, but your steps were faltering. You thought for a second you might've heard Yoosung saying… something? Your name, maybe…? You weren't sure. You were too dizzy, and everything was spinning too much.

...Huh…

Had Yoosung... gotten...  _taller?_

No, wait, that's dumb. You're on the ground now.

Ow. _Owww…_

"Oh my god, oh my GOD!! ARE YOU _OKAY!?_ " Yoosung, presumably _,_ said. It was a bit difficult to tell with your vision constantly blurring over, and honestly you were really tired? Like,  _reeeeeeallly_ tired.

Dirt nap time?

Yeah.

Yeah!

Dirt nap time. 

Goodnight, _Yoossssssunnnnnggnngng_ ………

* * *

_"…Saeran? Saeran, what's wrong?"_

_You've never seen him like this — curled into a ball, tears rolling down his cheeks, mumbling to himself for who knows how long._

_"…I don't understand," he finally said. "I was supposed to die."_

_It scared you._

_"S-Saeran, what the hell are y—"_

_"N-Not Saeran," he interjected, quiet but insistent. "My name is Ray. I… I should be gone." Ray was silent for a moment, then laughed — a small, pitiful sort of laugh. "Hah… hahaha… I can't even do that right?" His breathing hitched. "She was right. I'm useless."_


End file.
